


The Next Generation

by almaia



Category: Political RPF, Political RPF - UK 20th-21st c.
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2019-09-15 13:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 89
Words: 149,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16934112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almaia/pseuds/almaia
Summary: Theresa and Philip May find themselves adopting a child following a PMQs session where Jeremy Corbyn brings up the alarming limitation of abortion in Northern Ireland.





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FromAshesToStardust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FromAshesToStardust/gifts).



> This is a fanfic set in an AU where Theresa May and Philip May adopt a child. Special thanks to FromAshesToStardust for helping me come up with this fanfic!
> 
> (This fanfic was originally posted here in AO3 last 2016)
> 
> Disclaimer: The contents of this work are purely fictional even if it involves real-life people and some real-life events. No political bias and no disrespect are intended by this work.

“Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that women in Northern Ireland have a hard time gaining safe access to abortion. It has come to the point that they go to other countries, such as Scotland, just so that they could get one. In fact, the First Minister of Scotland has started up initiatives to cater to these women who come to her country just to get safe abortions. This is clearly proof that access to safe abortions in Northern Ireland is alarmingly limited. What does the Prime Minister have to say about this?”

That day, one of the agenda for Prime Minister’s questions was whether Northern Ireland should be pressured to relax on their abortion laws or not. Jeremy Corbyn was very much aware that the Prime Minister wouldn’t put so much urgency on this but he decided to give it a go anyway. _There was nothing he’d lose from this, right?_ If one thing, he’s going to gain something here and that’s praises from the Labourites in Northern Ireland.

Jeremy then sat down after he had delivered his question and the Prime Minister was called to answer.

“Mr. Speaker, I am very much aware of the predicament up in Northern Ireland regarding access to abortion. While I am personally for restrictions when it comes to abortion, and while that is a stand also held by the Conservative Party – I do agree with the Right Honourable Leader of the Opposition that what we’re seeing in Northern Ireland is _alarmingly limited_. As much as the national government would want to intervene, do remember that we have devolved our control on Northern Ireland and at the end of the day, it is still for them to decide how to manage their abortion policies.”

Jeremy was quite unimpressed by her answer. Her tone sounded like she was actually agreeing with Northern Ireland rather than just merely acknowledging that Westminster can’t do anything with the problem.

“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister clearly has not seen the gravity of the problem. All she has given us are vague answers. We all know that the Right Honourable Prime Minister herself aligns with the Pro-Life on issues like abortion. It is a well known fact that these Pro-Life aligning people would tell a woman who would consider abortion to take the “adoption not abortion” route, that is, to carry their unborn child to full term _and_ then give them up for adoption. With that, I would like to ask the Prime Minister, _would she take the same approach if she were to be asked by a woman considering abortion to convince her to do otherwise_?”

When Jeremy had ended his follow-up question to the Prime Minister, it was the Prime Minister once again who took centerstage. Oh, Theresa was so determined to answer that question. She thought to herself, _Does Corbyn really think I would face this situation with inaction like those fake Conservatives would?_

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Leader of the Opposition for that rather provoking question. To him I say that if a woman considering abortion were to ask me to convince her to do otherwise – I would definitely convince her not to get an abortion and to opt to giving their child up for adoption. In fact, I would be more than willing to adopt their child myself. Speaking of which, we should all work together to end the stigma that parents who choose to have children through the means of adoption are _inferior_ to parents who choose to have children through “natural” means. At the end of the day, it shouldn’t be how parents have had their children that matters, but rather, their dedication to raise their children properly.”

And just like that, Theresa did what could be the equivalent of a micdrop (except it is unparliamentary to do a literal micdrop in the House of Commons) and sat down to the cheering coming from both sides of the House of Commons. Right there, she was able to turn the conversation around in her favor – and not just in her favor – but in the favor of those who became parents through adopting their child.

What she didn’t know though, was that her opportunity to become a mother in such a way would come _sooner than she expected_.


	2. Beady Brown Eyes and Dirty Blonde Hair

**_December 25, 2016_ **

Theresa May and her husband were in the middle of a Christmas day luncheon with their elderly constituents when she had to suddenly take a call…

“Oh, hello Jeremy!” She answered, “I’m in the middle of an engagement with my constituents right now. What made you call me?”

“Remember when you said that you were willing to adopt a child of someone considering abortion?” The voice from the other line spoke

“Yes, of course. In fact, I am very much committed to that.” She said in the most enthusiastic tone ever

“Speaking of which, my niece just gave birth in the wee hours of the morning today. She considered aborting her daughter but she told me some pro-life sidewalk counselors made her turn around.” Jeremy told her, “She doesn’t want to keep her daughter so she is putting her up for adoption. In the best interest for my grandchild, I’d rather that you adopt her. I can see that you’d be capable of giving her a good future.”

“Alright…” she said, taken aback with the fact that she didn’t expect that opportunity to come to her this quick. Just a few weeks ago, she had proclaimed at the PMQs that she’d be more than willing to adopt a child if given the opportunity, “So when do Philip and I come around to see the baby?”

“As soon as you’ve wrapped up that engagement of yours.” Jeremy said.

* * *

 

When the luncheon with the elderly constituents of Maidenhead had ended, Theresa and Philip drove up to the Whittington Hospital at Islington. Jeremy told them that this was the hospital where his niece had just given birth.

“Oh, you two finally made it!” Jeremy said as he greeted the couple by the hospital’s entrance

“Apologies if we turned up a bit late.” Theresa spoke, “It’s the traffic that’s caused our delay.”

“Anyway, my niece will be discharged by the hospital soon.” Jeremy spoke, “So it is best that you and Philip come up to meet her and the baby right now.”

Jeremy ushered the two into the Maternity Ward of the hospital and as they came in, they were met by patients who were excited at the fact that the Prime Minister (and her husband) came to visit. Though they weren’t told that the Prime Minister was coming but nevertheless, they seemed appreciative of it.

Theresa and Philip took some time to do some small talk with the patients before they finally got to the bed where Jeremy’s niece was at.

“This is Jas. My niece and the biological mother of the child that you’ve considered to adopt.” Jeremy said as his niece eased herself up (while keeping her baby intact) to shake the hands of the couple that her uncle had brought over.

“Hello Jas. I am Theresa May, the Prime Minister.” Theresa tried not to look too excited in front of the biological mother of her future daughter, “Your uncle brought up your situation to me and I am glad to say that I am more than willing to help you.”

“So you are adopting my daughter, Mrs. May?” Jas asked in a tone that seemed informal (still, she placed enough effort to put some formality)

“Yes.” Theresa bluntly put it, “I assure you that your daughter will be in safe hands and should you feel that I am not raising her properly, you are free to find someone else who is more capable than I would be.”

“I am confident that you will raise my daughter well.” Jas said as she looked endearingly at the baby that she was about to put for adoption to the very woman she is speaking to right now.

“So, when does the adoption process start?” Philip asked, “And I do apologize for butting into the conversation.”

“We plan to start the process tomorrow.” Jeremy spoke, “As government offices are closed today and Jas won’t be discharged until an hour from now.”

“Would you like to hold her?” Jas asked Theresa, referring to the baby.

Theresa eagerly took the baby from Jas’ arms and cradled the baby. Fortunately, she didn’t drop the baby and that came with the fact that she herself is a godmother to over 40 people (who were once babies themselves) so she has done this for 40 times or so.

“Does she have a name?” Theresa curiously asked. She maintained that if Jas had already decided a name for the child, she would respect Jas’ wishes on that and let her daughter keep the given name even when the adoption has been finalized.

“Not yet.” Jas responded, “That’s for you to decide, Mrs. May.”

“I’ve always wanted to name my daughter Hilda.” Theresa said as she doted on the baby, “After Margaret Thatcher. Hilda was her middle name. Naming this lass Margaret would be _too_ obvious.”

“Aren’t you going to name her after me too?” Jeremy jokingly asked, “If you’re going to name her after the “Greatest Prime Minister of the 1980s”, might as well name her after the “Greatest Opposition Backbencher of the 1980s” too!”

“I’ll make that Hilda Bernadette.” Theresa told him, “I’ve taken her middle name from your middle name. Bernadette is the feminine form of Bernard.”

“Honestly, you just made my granddaughter’s name sound so _posh_!” Jeremy commented, “For heaven’s sake, don’t raise her to grow up like Cameron!”

“Do you honestly think I’m raising your granddaughter _like that_?” Theresa asked, “Don’t you ever think I’m going to make your granddaughter an undignified woman. Never will I think of doing that!”

“Don’t listen to him, dear.” Theresa whispered to the baby, “I’ll keep your mother’s promise of raising you properly.” She added before kissing the baby on the forehead. The baby, or rather, Hilda, looked at her with her beady brown eyes – something in Hilda’s eyes seemed like she felt safety in this woman’s arms.

* * *

 

**December 26, 2016**

It was boxing day and Jeremy Corbyn and Jas decided to pay the Mays a visit at 10 Downing Street. The Mays had just returned from their Christmas Weekend in their constituency. That afternoon when Jeremy and his niece came to visit was spent with tea and Theresa trying to ease herself more with the baby.

“My uncle and I already filed the initial papers for the adoption process.” Jas told Philip and Theresa, “The office staff said it should be delivered here by tomorrow. I believe you already know what to do with the papers next, since you were the former Home Secretary.”

“And if I do fail to recall, I can always ring up Amber to help me out.” Theresa said, referring to her Home Secretary.

“Oh my…Nicola Sturgeon just announced her pregnancy!” Jeremy reacted as he looked at his phone, “She’s 23 weeks into her pregnancy!”

“A congratulatory message is in order for her, then!” Theresa replied. Oh, she wasn’t the only one who was getting a baby. The First Minister of Scotland was getting hers too – five years after experiencing a miscarriage.

“This time around though, the baby is sure to make it to full term.” Jeremy further said, “23 weeks and onwards, there isn’t much risk for miscarriage. She did mention in a press release that she and her husband are taking steps to ensure hers and her unborn child’s well-being.”

Theresa grabbed her phone and tweeted out a congratulatory message for the First Minister of Scotland. She then opened up her Notes app to write some details for a press release on the occasion. In the same press release, she also revealed that she and her husband were now in the process of adopting a child.

When she had finished the details, she sent it to one of her staffers, instructing them to craft it into a press release to be released as soon as possible.

On the evening of that day, a press release from the Prime Minister was read by the evening news and posted on social media by news outlets. It read:

_The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom would like to send her warmest congratulations to the First Minister of Scotland on the occasion of her pregnancy. The Prime Minister hopes that the pregnancy will be a smooth sailing one for both the mother and the baby._

_In conjunction, the Prime Minister also wishes to announce that she and her husband are already in the process of adopting their own child after a constituent of the Leader of the Opposition who wanted to give their child up for adoption was referred to them._


	3. They Ruined Madonna For Us

**December 28, 2016**

It initially started off as an emergency meeting on top-up funding for the elderly and ended with Jeremy Corbyn venting out his frustration over his MPs.

“Look, our Christmas Karaoke Night went well.” Jeremy spoke, “That was until some MP thought it was a splendid idea to throw a _Karaoke Revolution_.”

“Well, you are that one person who incites revolutions.” Theresa remarked, “In fact, that’s what your campaigns have been fueled on. What makes it such a problem, anyway?”

“The problem is…they were throwing that revolution **_on me_**!” Jeremy was getting highly frustrated that the Prime Minister was just not getting it, like she can’t get his policy concessions, “Someone thought it was a nice idea to poke fun at me by singing Tony Blair’s campaign song on the karaoke. They even went far enough to singing The Beatles’ _Back in the USSR_ because they think I side with Russia on the Syria crisis. But I don’t! **_And you know that_**!”

“For heaven’s sake Jeremy, grow up!” was all Theresa could say. But whatever, Jeremy was going on with this!

“You know what’s more ridiculous? One of them thought singing “Like A Virgin” to mock me over that row I had with Virgin Trains was a good idea. They just ruined Madonna for me, I swear!” Jeremy was about to be reduced to tears at this point but it would be stupid for him to cry in front of her.

“You thought you’re the only one who had someone ruin Madonna for them?” Theresa said, her palms hitting the desk as she abruptly stood up, “You should hear what Nicky Morgan did to me! I dropped by this Karaoke Night that my MPs were doing and she started singing to “Material Girl”, oh that girl hasn’t moved on from trashing me for those leather pants!”

“And I believe we’re on the same page now!” Jeremy said, relief creeping into his voice, “You might as well want to add in the fact that we were both judged over our clothing choices by Tory MPs who have greatly lost their prominence. That’s Cameron and Morgan, by the way!”

“Guess you could say they both ruined Madonna for us.” Theresa remarked, chuckling

“So do we have to ban Madonna from the UK now?” Jeremy asked

“I don’t think Hilda approves of that.” Theresa replied as a baby’s cry was overheard.

Oh yes, Jeremy brought Hilda along to the meeting because Jasmin practically left her soon to be adopted baby under his care until the papers could be sorted out. Hilda laid on a baby carrier on top of the desk that separated the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister.

Theresa carefully took Hilda out of the carrier and started rocking her back to sleep.  Jeremy watched as the Prime Minister tried to put his grandchild back to sleep. There was really just something so natural about how Theresa handled the baby. It was like she was really meant to raise her in the first place because in a few minutes, the baby had calmed down.

“So anyway.” Jeremy said softly, “The papers, they should be here by Wednesday for you to go over with.” He added

“Do you still want us to discuss more on the top-up funding?” Theresa asked, softly as well, “Or have you conceded to me like you always do?”

“This conversation is not yet over!” Jeremy replied

“Darling, you better not turn this into another shouting match.” Theresa said, “Unless you want poor Hilda here to wake up crying again because of your impassioned arguments.”

“Fine.” Jeremy spoke, with his head bowed down in defeat.


	4. Fairy Lights and Cameras

**_March 2017_ **

Theresa May had just returned from a state visit in the United States which ended with her chastising Donald Trump about why he is such a bad conservative and a bad President in general. He wasn’t even the worst _fake conservative_ that she’s come across with. She’s come across with worse within her own party.

Her phone rung as she was driven back to 10 Downing Street from the airport and she sure as heck hoped this wasn’t Trump calling her again and begging for an apology. He’d been doing so for what seemed like 1,000 times. Damn, the man was really so rich. He couldn’t mind placing _one thousand_ overseas calls and not worrying about the bills the next month.

“Hello, who is this?” She asked, trying to keep that stern tone.

“Darling, it’s Philip.” The caller said from the other line, “You need to come home now!”

“But I am on my way home!” She replied, “What are you so excited about?”

The other line went silent for a while until she could hear faint noises, something going along the lines of “come on, say hi to your mummy!” and a baby giggling in response.

“Is that Hilda?” Theresa asked, her eyes widening

“It sure is!” Philip replied, “We’re in luck. Thanks to Amber’s intervention, the adoption process has been sped up for us.”  By Amber, he meant the Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Yes, they had to enlist her help to get Hilda on their arms earlier.

It was a well known fact that adoption was a slow process in the UK and of course, the Home Office definitely had something to do with it (and honestly, Theresa had no right to complain, this was partly her doing with the fixes she made to the adoption policies during her tenure as Home Secretary).

“However, Amber has told us that while the baby already starts staying with us earlier than expected.” Philip spoke, “The observation period is going to last longer. The adoption won’t be finalized until Hilda turns one. She says because we asked for a special consideration, we’d have to come to this compromise.”

“I do not mind at all.” Was her response, “Now you and Hilda not better run into any trouble!”

“But she’s _just_ three months old! I don’t think she’s going to pit Larry and Palmerston to a fight the second I’ll turn my back.” Philip said, referring to the cats of 10 Downing Street and the Foreign Office, respectively, who were known for their brawls that once injured a journalist and a policeman.

“Alright then, goodbye darling! I’ll see you the soonest!”

The baby was laid on the duvet with a small pillow supporting her head. Fairy lights surrounded her, sort of. A camera was aimed towards her.

“Where did you get this idea of doing this for Hilda’s first photoshoot?” Theresa asked Fiona Hill, her special adviser. Theresa had no idea what the photoshoot was for but she was appreciative of the gesture. Those photos will be important keepsakes, after all. Before she’d know it, her dear Hilda will be all grown up.

“Pinterest.” Fiona answered, “Hopefully this doesn’t turn into a _Pinterest Fail_. Otherwise, you’ll have to fire Nick. This was his idea.”

“Why me?” A shocked Nick Timothy asked as he continued to fiddle around with the camera on his hands, “ _You_ asked me to go on Pinterest and find you those pegs. This was _your_ idea!”

While her special advisers were busy bickering, Theresa knelt down on the end of the bed and leaned towards Hilda. Instantly, Hilda grasped on her mother’s hair as if it was some toy to be played with.

“Come on you sweet little Yorkshire Pudding, let go of my hair.” Theresa cooed to Hilda. Being an avid cook by hobby, Yorkshire Pudding was a nickname she bestowed to her daughter. That of course, owning up to the fact that she was a Christmas baby.

Philip came into the room just in time and watched as her wife played with her daughter. He then joined in, planting a kiss to both his wife and his daughter on the forehead. “Is she causing you any trouble?” Philip asked.

“Stop worrying, dear! She’s just playing with my hair!” Theresa remarked amidst her hair being tugged by Hilda, “So who put this photoshoot together?” she asked her husband.

“I did.” He replied, “I figured out that if we were to update everyone of the adoption process, this would be a good way to let them know that we’ve gone through the next stage. Fiona and Nick have told me that you should go get an Instagram account.”

“And I suppose these pictures of her that they’ll be taking would be uploaded there?” Theresa asked

“Exactly.” Philip replied, “We have to get with the times dear. Hilda’s biological grandfather runs one of those Instagram accounts – to think he’s older than you!” and Philip was met with a death glare from his wife. One that said, “stop making me feel older than Jeremy!”

Still, the baby won’t let go of her hair so she adjusted her head instead so she would be looking at her. That of course, was how Fiona and Nick witnessed their boss, and also her husband making those cute faces to their daughter. Their daughter seemed to be enjoying it as she was now giggling so loudly at her mother.

Nick could not help but laugh, only to get a death glare from Fiona that said “laugh again and she’s going to fire us both!” and now, Nick has a mental image of her yelling “You’re Fired!” at them in a Donald Trump fashion like they’re at _The Apprentice_.

Before the parents and daughter knew it, Nick had already snapped a picture of them, “That actually looks cute.” Fiona remarked as she looked at the screen of the camera, “Should we release that one to the press?”

“Personally, I’d say yes.” Nick replied, “However, our boss will have the final say. She of course, might want this picture for her own collection.”

After diverting Hilda’s attention, she finally let go of her mother’s hair. That, making way for Fiona and Nick to take that picture they were preparing for in the first place. Lucky for them, Hilda wasn’t such a pain to take pictures of. It’s like the camera loves her, “Just like her mum.” Nick thought as he took a few more shots.

* * *

 

**_Edinburgh, Scotland_ **

“Peter, would you look at this!” Nicola Sturgeon said as she held up her phone for her husband, Peter to see, “The Prime Minister’s finally got her daughter and she looks just so adorable!”

Nicola of course, was now seven months pregnant. Two more months until the hot cross bun is ready to be taken out of the oven.  Peter then took the phone from his wife’s hands and took a good look at the pictures – the first one showed Theresa and Philip making what seemed to be cute faces at the baby. The second one was just of the baby herself, lying down a duvet while being surrounded by fairy lights.

“Should we get Andrew one of these photoshoots when he’s born?” Peter asked as he admired the cuteness that was the Prime Minister’s family

“Why not?” Nicola interjected, “Besides, I do plan to do something special for our wee hot cross bun!” That nickname she’s given to her son of course, came from that time the doctor had told them that the baby was due on Easter and Peter, being the cooking enthusiast that he is, jokingly called his son a hot cross bun.

Peter moved closer to his wife on the couch, pressing himself near her bloated tummy, “You know what Andrew, daddy is so excited to see you soon!” Just as Peter finished what he was saying, Nicola felt a kick on her tummy.

“Seems like he’s excited too!” Nicola remarked, “Speaking of which, I do have a meeting scheduled with the Prime Minister next month. I do hope she comes around with Hilda.”

“Well then, why don’t you give her a call?” Peter said as he handed Nicola’s phone back to her. Nicola then dialed Theresa’s number, hoping that her call gets answered. The Prime Minister was busy with many things, like the activation of Brexit to happen sometime in the month.

Thankfully, the call was answered

“Hello, this is the Prime Minister speaking!” the voice from the other line said, “How may I help you?”

“Oh, hello Prime Minister. First of all, congratulations on the baby _and_ your Instagram account!” Nicola said, giggling, “Peter and I have seen the pictures. Anyway, cutting to the chase. I do hope you can bring Hilda with you when we meet in the next month. If that’s not much trouble.”

“I’ve had a better idea, dear.” Theresa said, “We’re coming up to Edinburgh as a family, seeing that the meeting takes place on a weekend and we thought it would be nice for us to have a little weekend getaway in Scotland right after the meeting.”

“I do hope to see you all soon.” Nicola replied, “And tell Hilda that I said hi, alright?”

“Will do.” Theresa said, “And by the way, if you and your husband don’t mind, could you two stand in as her godparents. We plan to have Hilda baptized in a few months time.”

“Well, we’d love to!” Nicola said, after which, she shielded her phone’s speakers with her palm and then turned to Peter, “She wants us to be godparents to her daughter.” She whispered

“I’m fine with that.” Peter replied, “And tell her to tell Hilda I said hi too!”

Nicola then went back to the call, “Oh, and tell Hilda that Peter said hi too.”

“Thank you so much!” Theresa said, “I really appreciate you and your husband’s willingness. I’ll see to it that Hilda knows that you two are excited to see her.”

“Well then, goodbye and see you next month!”

“See you too.”

Nicola then turned to her husband who pulled her into a cuddle, “So it turns out I’m not only going to become a mother – I am becoming a godmother too!” Nicola told him.

“Well, more babies for us to gawk on, then.” Peter remarked, eliciting laughs from Nicola.


	5. Negotiating with the Flower of Scotland

**_April 2017 – one week before Easter_ **

As the Flying Scotsman approached the platform, a bevy of photographers and journalists were already waiting. You might ask, is Scotland getting graced by Will and Kate and their children?

As the door of the first class car opened, it appears that it’s not the Royal Couple and their children but rather, the Prime Minister with her husband and daughter in tow.

“My…Hilda looks so cute in person!” One journalist reacted, “How I wish I’d have a child that beautiful!”

“She’s gonna give Princess Charlotte a run for her money!” Another journalist shouted

As the Prime Minister, her husband and daughter tried to wade through the crowd, she couldn’t help but notice how most of these journalists were basically busy admiring her daughter. For a second there, she expected them to ask her questions about the Brexit deal that Scotland is proposing to Westminster.

“Look at that Hilda, they love you!” Philip cooed to the baby on his wife’s arms. Hilda simply responded by giggling which made the journalists nearest to them go “awwww!”

Not long, a bevy of security detail arrived at the scene, whisking the Prime Minister and her family away to a vehicle that will take them to the Bute House.

The Prime Minister and her family were met by a heavily pregnant Nicola Sturgeon at the steps of Bute House. For someone who is only a week away from giving birth, she was quite energetic. Nicola could not help but feel broody when she first laid her eyes on Hilda. The Prime Minister’s baby, her future goddaughter.

“My…my, what a cute little lass we’ve got here.” Nicola said as she softly pinched Hilda on the cheeks, “Such a cute lass indeed, just like her mummy. Isn’t that right, Hilda?”

“You’re only a week away from giving birth, correct?” Theresa asked. She was also excited at the prospect of Nicola being able to carry a child to full term for the first time. She’d found out some months into her reign as Prime Minister that Nicola was so close to becoming a mother until a miscarriage ruined it for her years ago.

Honestly, there were times she saw Nicola to be more blessed in the sense that she is able to conceive, something that she is unable to do due to fertility problems. However, she did not let that in her way, perhaps God had a reason for that.

“Yup, only a week to go and Peter and I will be seeing our dear Andrew Scott for the first time!” Nicola said in an excited tone, “Well then, shall we go in?” she asked.

The Prime Minister and her family joined the First Minister into the Bute House, not to be seen again until the end of the day. Well, except for the Prime Minister’s husband and daughter, because the Prime Minister had to see them off before the closed door meeting she’s having with the First Minister.

* * *

 

“Recognizing that Brexit is inevitable at this point, I propose that the United Kingdom remain with the EEA and Holyrood be given powers to have Scotland participate in the EU.” Nicola spoke, “Unless of course, you are ready to let go of Scotland. It’s your call, Prime Minister.”

“We are absolutely not allowing Scotland to leave the union!” Theresa exclaimed, “The United Kingdom is already falling apart and we do not want it to fall apart any more. To simply put it, we need each other.”

Oh, there was something irresistible with the Prime Minister, Nicola noticed. Her full bust and the way her curves are accentuated by the printed velvet dress she wore that day. Not to mention that the dress gave her a perfect view of her flawlessly long legs as well.

Not wanting to be suspected of gawking at her and also because her cravings have kicked in once again, Nicola took her fifth rice krispies from the tray on the small round table that separated them. A second can of Irn Bru was opened. A sip taken. Soon, she found herself eating two bars of Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer – and a gulp of Irn Bru followed.

But it seems she’s still craving for rice krispies, Caramel Wafers and Irn Bru and the Prime Minister noticed it as she stopped in the middle of her “Why Scotland should remain in the UK” lecture.

Theresa took a napkin from the table and used it to wipe Nicola’s mouth, “My…you’re such a mess!” she playfully remarked

“I can perfectly take care of myself!” Nicola said as she took the napkin from Theresa’s hands, using it on herself.

“Looks like you aren't contented with what you've just had.” Theresa quipped, referring to the fact that Nicola managed to consume lots of rice krispies, Tunnock's Caramel Wafers and Irn Bru  “Fiona, get the First Minister some more rice krispies and Tunnock's Caramel Wafers, and another can of Irn Bru.” 

"Right away, Prime Minister." Fiona Hill, Theresa's Special Adviser said. Fiona then hurried towards the cafeteria of the Bute House to purchase some food and drink for Nicola.

 

* * *

 

Philip strolled the streets of downtown Edinburgh, carrying the wee little Hilda on his arms. While his wife was at a meeting with the First Minister, he decided to head to the downtown with the baby. They were going in from one shop to another this day, looking for something to surprise his wife with.

As they strolled, a group of young people approached them. Oh, this was the exciting part of being the United Kingdom’s First Gentleman – posing for selfies with random people. 90% fun for 10% of the work as he told his wife one time.

“Mr. May, we’d like a selfie with you.” A young woman from the group said, “and of course, with your beautiful wee little lass.” She added, referring to Hilda.

“Alright then!” Philip gamely said as he repositioned Hilda so that she could be seen better in the selfie.

The father and daughter posed along with the young people in that selfie, after which, these young people thanked Philip for his time and went off to carry on with their day.

“Well Hilda, you might have to start getting used to people asking for your selfies.” Philip told Hilda, “Especially that you’re still as cute as a button!”

Hilda’s beady brown eyes met with her father’s grey eyes, and she giggled. A sight that onlookers found really cute. Philip then felt a vibration on his pocket – it was his phone. He then took his phone and found that it was a text message from his wife, asking him to come back to the Bute House.

The post-Brexit meeting with Nicola had already finished and so, Philip called for the car that they used that day and off they drove back to the Bute House.


	6. Tours and a Picnic

Theresa and Philip swore that they were the luckiest people in Scotland that day when the First Minister herself offered to be their tour guide. The First Couple of Britain (with their daughter in tow) have added one more day to their stay in Scotland (which started off as a work-related visit for the Prime Minister) for a short holiday.

Of course, having the First Minister as their tour guide meant that they are able to jump into the front of the queue as she is already heavily pregnant (and who in the right mind would tell a heavily pregnant woman to wait all the way at the back for tourist attractions visited by droves of people?).

“We’re really sorry if we’ve caused any trouble for you two.” Philip said to Peter and Nicola, “Thank you so much for taking us here!”

“We really do appreciate it.” Theresa said as she shifted Hilda around her arms, “This would be something we’d remember, our first vacation as a family.” She added as she planted a kiss on Hilda’s forehead.

“You two are in luck, I’m basically your VIP card right now!” Nicola cheekily remarked, “Without me, you lot wouldn’t be able to jump up to the front of the queue!”

* * *

They were now at the Stirling Castle, just on top of Castle Hill in Stirling. No doubt, this was the most famous tourist attraction in Stirling because of its great significance to Scottish history. Nicola, feeling so giddy at that time, decided to challenge the Mays to a chase.

“Catch us if you can, you English Cunts!” she playfully shouted at the couple as she grabbed her husband’s hand. They ran across the esplanade like they were teenagers again, not giving a care in the world.

For a heavily pregnant woman, Nicola was still quite fast as she ran – the Mays merely catching up behind her. Theresa struggled to keep her hold on Hilda steady in one hand and her hold on her husband’s hand in another.

“I don’t think we can catch up, dear.” Philip said as he started panting, “Unlike Nicola, we didn’t have five cans of Irn Bru prior to this.” On the drive to Stirling Castle, the two saw Nicola down five cans of Irn Bru while eating Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers in between. Her cravings were kicking in again at that particular time.

“Oh shut up Philip!” Theresa said, refusing to dampen her competitive spirit, “We can absolutely beat them. We just have to _work together better_.”  And now, her grip on Philip’s hand was even stronger and with full force, she dragged him as she paced faster towards Peter and Nicola.

“Giving up already?” Nicola said as soon as she stopped running, with her hands on her hips and Peter standing beside her, still looking as energized as he did when they started running.

“I’m going to let you win, just this time _nippy sweetie_.” Theresa said as she stopped midway, with Philip almost hitting the ground and Hilda almost spilling from her arm, “Besides, you two have what they call a home court advantage. We were here for a holiday after all, not to duke it out with you and Peter.”

“Oh come on Theresa.” Peter said, “Don’t be so uptight. Loosen up, it will help you when Hilda is old enough to start running all over.” He added.

“You do have a point.” Theresa replied, “However, I believe we looked rather ridiculous running around the esplanade of this castle.” Looking around, there weren’t so much people (as most of them were inside the castle) so they were in luck.

* * *

They were at the Kelpies right now. An entire park full of horse head structures representing mythological transforming beasts with the strength and endurance of ten horses. Yes, you heard that right, the strength and endurance of ten horses.

The same strength and endurance that Peter and Philip seem to have as they duked it out with each other in the middle of the park. It was all Theresa’s idea that hers and Nicola’s husbands duke it out on their behalf with the loser’s wife having to eat a Soreen loaf.

“I wonder if your mum wishes you were never born?” Philip asked as he continued to tackle Peter on the ground. Of course, all this fighting was just done playfully.

“I wonder if she wished for the same.” Peter said as he landed a slap on Philip’s face, “She didn’t spend nine months to have you born just so that you could get a History degree that won’t bring food to the table!”

“How dare you insult Liberal Arts majors like that!” Philip said as he pushed Peter back to the ground, “I work for the biggest insurance firms, I’m married to the Prime Minister? And you? Just a university professor married to a First Minister!”

“You’re not an economics major, bloke!” Peter finally mustered the strength to flip Philip to the ground with him now on top, “Maybe that’s why our economy is fucked up after Brexit! Because it’s left on the care to some man who doesn’t even know how the economy works!”

“Come on Peter! Finish him!” A random man from the crowd watching them shouted, “Make sure the Prime Minister ends up eating Soreen!” he said, referring to Britain’s most hated snack – the Soreen loaf.

“Philip, there is no way I’m eating that _disgusting_ malt loaf!” Theresa said, cheering on his husband who was trying to gain control, “You better put Peter back in the ground now or I am personally doing it myself!”

“Oh no Theresa, oh no you can’t!” Nicola said, holding the Prime Minister back, “We had a deal. Our husbands duke it out for us. If you enter the fight, that would be cheating, now wouldn’t it?”. Feeling defeated, Theresa stepped back, holding Hilda tightly and whispering to her to hope that her mummy wouldn’t have to end up eating Soreen after this.

“It doesn’t matter. They kept me with my job because I’ve proven to them that I am worth more than my degree!” Philip shouted as he tried to pull Peter down, only for him to end up being pinned to the ground.

“Your wife is eating that malt loaf.” Peter now cast a dark glare at Philip as he delivered the last slap onto his face. It was over. Peter won the fight after the two minute time that was set for them to duke it out.

Peter got off Philip and helped him off the ground then Philip dusted off his coat before joining his wife and daughter. Nicola and Peter started making faces at them, showing them the pack of Soreen loaf that they brought along.

Nicola walked up to Theresa and leaned closer to Hilda, telling her “Be a good girl and keep a beady eye on your mummy okay. Make sure she eats up all the Soreen loaf!”. This of course, led to Theresa pouting at the Scottish First Minister.

* * *

The five of them now found themselves at the nearby park for lunch. There were many assortments of food that was brought along. Deep Fried Mars Bars, Fish and Chips, cans of Irn Bru and of course, the dreaded Soreen loaf.

Nicola laid down on her husband’s lap as Hilda crawled over her bloated abdomen. Just opposite them were Theresa and Philip, with Theresa leaning on her husband while finishing her Soreen loaf.

“This is awful.” Theresa said in between bites, “Remind me to tell Philip Hammond to hike up the taxes for whoever is responsible for these horrible loaves of malt!”

“You better finish that loaf, Theresa!” Nicola ordered, “The sooner you’ll finish, the sooner you’ll be out of that predicament of yours.” Then Theresa made a disgusting face on Nicola, clearly showing that she is so done with this.

Nicola then reached out to the baby that was crawling over her stomach. She then adjusted her position so that she could hold the baby better. Hilda snuggled on the swollen abdomen like it was the softest pillow she has laid upon and honestly, Nicola found it cute.

“Oh, would you look at that!” Nicola remarked, “Hilda seems to be telling our dear Andrew to come out and play.” She gushed further as Hilda babbled on her stomach. The First Minister was blushing with her cheeks as red as the suit she wore to the 2016 SNP Conference.

“Hilda dear, he won’t be out until next week.” Peter told the baby on top of his wife’s bloated abdomen, “But I think he can feel you up there.”

Hilda was babbling some more to the swollen stomach, as if she wasn’t aware that the swollen stomach could only answer her with a soft kick. By this time, Theresa had finished the Soreen loaf and downed an entire can of Irn Bru to wash off the taste of the loaf. Philip watched on as her daughter played with the First Minister’s swollen abdomen.

Theresa took out her phone and snapped a picture of her darling baby playing with the First Minister’s bloated tummy. Oh, it was such a cute sight indeed! A photo for the keeps and for uploading to Instagram.

The caption read: “ _Looks like someone couldn’t wait to play with the First Minister’s son_.”


	7. A New Arrival

**Glasgow, Scotland – April 15, 2017**

Nicola and Peter were huddled up at the couch watching the series final of The Voice UK’s sixth series. They were already watching the second song being performed by the four finalists. Hopefully, this would take Nicola’s mind out of the pain caused by the contractions she has been experiencing for the last couple of hours.

“I sure hope Bianca Nicholas goes home as the winner.” Nicola said as she took a sip of Irn Bru, not minding the pain from her contractions. Yes, her craving for Scotland’s second famous drink was still there even when she’s now hours away from giving birth, “She had it tough two years ago and in the years that followed. She deserves a redemption!”

“She got Ricky Wilson as her coach, she should be okay.” Peter said as he brushed his wife’s hair from her face. Nicola snuggled closer to him, hoping that it would subside the pain. At this point, Bianca was just called to perform her first song – Katy Perry’s _Rise_ which was famous as the theme song used for the US coverage of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

In the middle of the judges critiquing Bianca’s first performance for that night, Nicola felt pain again. It had been some twenty minutes since her last contraction. It was already 10:50pm and this was her sixth consecutive contraction. Her water had already broken earlier and all she and Peter had to do were wait.

The Voice moving to ITV gave it a later timeslot which explained while the grand final dragged through way past ten in the evening. Honestly, it was a change that Nicola was thankful for the last minute – as it helped her take her mind off the pain that was her contractions.

11:00pm - Ricky and Bianca were now in the middle of their performance of Queen’s _Bohemian Rhapsody_ when Nicola felt piercing pain on her abdomen again.

“You alright, dear?” Peter asked Nicola, who was visibly clutching her abdomen.

“Y-yes, I am.” Nicola said, trying to ignore the pain from the contractions, “W-well actually…fuck, this is so painful! I do not think I couldn’t take this any longer!” she was now on the verge of tears – Bianca Nicholas was now on the verge of unleashing into vocal fury as the bridge of the song kicked in.

“Ten minutes between contractions, it’s time to head to the hospital!” Peter said as he whisked Nicola out of the couch, carrying her in his arms as he grabbed the car keys from the side table.

_So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?_

_So you think you can love me and leave me to die?_

_Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,_

_Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here._

Peter set Nicola down on the passenger’s seat before quickly moving to the driver’s seat. As soon as he placed the keys on the ignition, he drove off faster than he ever did. Nicola held on to her dear life as Peter drove past Govanhill – the Glasgow ghetto that looked even more disturbing at night.

“Maybe I should have prioritized fixing Govanhill!” Nicola shouted in between her painful contractions, “Gosh, it looks scary at night!”

“Then do it after you push our wee hot cross bun out of the oven!” Peter said as he drove even more furiously, “Can you still hold on, dear?” he asks her

“Are you doubting my ability to walk strong out of a tough situation?” Nicola shot back.

“Sorry!”

* * *

Swiftly, Peter drove into the driveway of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital – hitting the brakes as soon as he found a good place to park the car. Stumbling out of the car, he unlocks the door to the passenger’s seat and carries Nicola bridal-style, dashing straight into the emergency room.

“I need a doctor!” Nicola shouted while in the arms of her husband, “I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!” she shouted as she clutched on her abdomen.

A stretcher came in their way and the emergency room nurses took Nicola from her husband’s arms, putting her down in the stretcher. Everything happened so fast because the next thing they knew, they were all at the emergency room.

In the first half of Nicola’s delivery, she was either pulling Peter by the ear or swearing at him due to the pain she’s experiencing. The doctor and the nurses could not help but laugh at some point but work needed to be done.

“BIANCA NICHOLAS BETTER WIN THE VOICE AFTER I PUSH THIS BABY OUT!” Nicola shouted as she made a hard push, “AND YOU PETER, GET READY TO PAY UP!” she added, referring to the fact that she placed a bet with him earlier that Bianca Nicholas would win.

“Yes, darling.” Was all Peter said as he watched the intense situation unfold, gobsmacked.

“We can see the head now!” The doctor shouted, “That was quite fast!”

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR? PULL THAT WEE HOT CROSS BUN OUT OF THE OVEN!” Nicola shouted as she made another hard push – and my, she found it easy to push the baby out. She thought that with all the pain she experienced, she would have a hard time pushing the baby out.

“What is this, Masterchef meets the Great British Bake-Off?” A nurse asked

“Alright, it’s safe to pull the baby out now!” The doctor said as she led in pulling the baby out of Nicola. It went on _really_ smoothly. The nurse that went to catch the baby could feel the heavy weight of the baby, _A ten pounder_ , she thought.

“It’s a boy!” The doctor shouted as she inspected the baby’s reproductive organ, “Congratulations Miss Sturgeon and Mr. Murrell!” and with that, Nicola started crying tears of joy. There he was – her wee lad, crying loudly.

“Well, that was quite quick!” Nicola remarked in between the tears, “I thought I’d still be stuck here delivering until the wee hours of the morning. How long was I pushing the baby out?” she asks, turning to the doctor.

“An hour. It took you an hour to deliver the baby.” The doctor said, “Quite quick, indeed.”

Meanwhile, one of the nurses handed Peter the birth certificate for him to sign on. After the signing has been done, it read:

_This is to certify that Andrew Scott Murrell-Sturgeon weighing 9lbs 5oz was born on the day of Sunday, 16 th April to Peter Murrell and Nicola Ferguson Sturgeon in the year of 2017_

Yup, the First Minister just pushed a nine pounder out of her body – like a warrior.

One of the nurses then handed Andrew Scott to Nicola after he was cleaned up. Nicola’s brown eyes met with his beady brown ones. “Hello there, wee lad. Welcome to the world!” she said, planting a kiss on the baby’s forehead afterwards. All the baby did was yawn at her.

“Worn out, aren’t you?” Peter says to the baby

“Yup, he’s worn out alright.” Nicola remarked

“In case you still want to find out,” The doctor said after looking at her phone, “Bianca Nicholas won the sixth series of The Voice. Looks like your husband has to pay up!”

“Oh my…” Peter said, defeated, as he proceeded to fish his wallet out of his pocket, “Here’s one hundred pounds, Nicola.” He added as he handed the 100 pound note to a pleased Nicola who was twice as happy at this time – not did she only safely give birth to their son but she also won a bet that she placed with her husband.

* * *

Theresa’s phone vibrated multiple times, causing her to jolt awake just past midnight. Checking the reason why her phone has vibrated multiple times (as she did not remember putting it on alarm that sets off past midnight), she found that it was a text message from Nicola causing it.

Opening the message, it read:

_Prime Minister, thank you so much for helping me last week! Had a smooth and quick delivery of a 9lbs 5oz baby boy._

And Theresa’s lips curled into a grin. She was proud to see the First Minister of Scotland have a successful pregnancy. Then she thought that she should come up to Scotland to visit her in the coming weekend.


	8. A Weekend in Glasgow

Nicola was seated on the couch with her baby, Andrew Scott, snuggled to her chest. The mother and baby decided to bond over Saturday morning television programming. Peter meanwhile, was busy cleaning up the kitchen as they had just finished eating breakfast.

Their bonding session was somewhat interrupted by the ring of the doorbell, “Peter, will you get the door!” Nicola shouts from the living room.

Peter quickly emerged from the kitchen and made his way to the front door. Opening the door, he saw the Prime Minister, her husband and her daughter – and a box full of things that he assumes, are supposed to be presents for the new baby in their house.

“Who’s at the door?” Nicola asked from the living room

“We’ve got the Prime Minister and her family!” Peter answered back

“Send them in!” Nicola shouted back

Theresa and Philip were guided by Peter into the living room where they saw Nicola and her baby on the couch. Sensing that the couple have entered the living room, Nicola shifted her position to face them.

“Good Morning Prime Minister.” Nicola said warmly, “And to you too, Mr. May and of course, to your adorable wee lass.” She added

“Good Morning to you too, Nicola.” Theresa responded, “My, for a newborn, your baby looks quite huge.” She chuckled playfully afterwards. Hilda wasn’t that heavy when she was born. Hilda was 6lbs and 3oz according to her birth certificate.

“He’s such a huge one indeed.” Nicola responded, “I don’t know whether to still call him a wee lad or not. Nine pounds is not quite small.” She chuckled as well.

Theresa then proceeded to sit next to Nicola on the couch, adjusting Hilda so that she would be snuggling on her chest as well. She then called for her husband to set down the box that he was carrying. The box containing presents for Andrew Scott.

“I do hope these clothes fit your not-so-wee lad.” Theresa said as she pulled out a bag full of clothes from the box. Nicola took the clothes from her hands and inspected them, nodding in approval.

“These are designer, aren’t they?” Nicola quizzed as she set the clothes down on the couch

“Why would I buy your son clothes from wherever Jeremy Corbyn gets his clothes?” Theresa asked, pretending to sound offended, “Just because I disagree with you politically doesn’t mean I’d do that!” she added, laughing afterwards.

“Thank you, really.” Nicola said as she inspected the other contents of the box, “I wasn’t expecting this at all.” She added.

Suddenly, Andrew started crying, “Oh, he must be hungry.” Nicola remarked as she proceeded to open her button-up top so that she could breastfeed her son. The baby quickly latched on his mother’s breast, just showing how hungry he was.

As if just by mere coincidence, now it was Hilda that was crying and Theresa was trying hard to calm her down but she just wouldn’t stop crying. It was clearly not a full diaper that sent Hilda crying and Nicola sensed that it only meant one thing – Hilda was probably hungry too.

“It seems like Hilda is hungry too.” Nicola casually remarked as she continued breastfeeding Andrew, “Would you like me to feed her?”

Theresa, being gobsmacked when Nicola asked that question, simply found herself nodding while passing Hilda on to Nicola, “You better be careful with my baby.” She said when she finally gathered the composure to speak.

“I will!” Nicola said as she received Hilda, positioning her by the side opposite to Andrew. She then eased Hilda on her free breast and Hilda latched onto it quickly as well. At this point, Nicola found herself feeding two babies simultaneously, “Wow, looks like you snagged yourself a wet nurse, Prime Minister!” and with that, Nicola laughed, careful not to shake the babies that she is feeding.

“I might consider bringing you back to London so that I can have someone feed Hilda when I’m at work.” Theresa remarked humorously, “They do say that breastmilk is healthier for the baby.” She added.

“Then who is going to be the First Minister of Scotland if you take me down with you?” Nicola asked playfully as she leaned down to plant kisses on her son’s and Hilda’s foreheads. The babies snuggled themselves closer to Nicola’s chest, eager to have more milk.

“Who else but Ruth Davidson.” Was the playful answer that came from Theresa, “She’s the only other person capable of running Scotland.”

“I’d rather stay here, dear.” Nicola quipped, “If you want Hilda to get breastmilk so bad, you’d have to come up here to Glasgow on the weekends.”

“Now you’re just giving me excuses to come here.” Then Theresa started giggling for what seemed to be eternity. By the time she had already stopped, Hilda had already gotten her fill and was slowly falling asleep when Nicola handed her back to her mother.

* * *

Meanwhile, Peter and Philip found themselves in the kitchen, chatting over cups of coffee. Peter was still new to this whole being a father thing. For the record, he’s only been a father for a week. 

“Do you ever have those moments of getting up at two in the morning to the point that you’ve lost your sense of time?” Peter asked as he took a sip of coffee

“It’s been a month or so and I do get that feeling.” Philip answered, “But Hilda isn’t much trouble. It only takes her a couple of minutes to calm down once you’ve got around to rocking her back to sleep.” He added.

“But then sometimes, it’s a full diaper that causes it.” Peter spoke as he remembered the past night where he and Nicola had to change Andrew’s diaper together at three in the morning. He swore he could have missed the trash can when he was about to aim the used diaper into it.

“Don’t even get me started on that one!” Philip remarked, “Theresa always leaves me with the duty to chuck the used diaper into the bin – and yes, she even asked me to take the entire bin out in the wee hours of the morning as it happened to be full by then.”

While he is happy to do those chores, he still found it overwhelming that he came to the point of having to do these chores. Ever since he was informed of his wife’s infertility, this never crossed his mind again until Hilda came into their lives.

“Before we know it, our babies would be all grown up, running all over the place.” Peter mused, “Might as well bond with them now before they get to that stage in life.” Oh, he was now imagining Andrew and Hilda, being a few years older, being all giddy and all over the place.

“Well then, let’s see what our babies and their mothers are up to.” Philip suggested as he walked out of the kitchen, with Peter trailing behind. When they emerged into the living room, they were met with the sight of their wives engaging in playful banter as their babies slept soundly.

It was such a breathtaking moment and one that they did not dare to interfere with.


	9. Jubilations and Hugs

**June 2017**

“Mr. Speaker, I for one, am very delighted that our Prime Minister has taken her words into action. It was Christmas day of last year when I called up the Prime Minister to ask her if she were interested in helping my constituent out. This help she extended to my constituent was through adopting her daughter whom she could not keep due to circumstances that make it unfit for her to raise a child. With that, I would like to thank the Prime Minister for her actions. I wish her and her husband the best in raising the said child, whom they have named Hilda Bernadette.”

When Jeremy Corbyn wrapped up his statement, he was already covered in tears. Sobbing intensely in front of the Prime Minister – in front of his shadow cabinet, hell, in front of all these MPs and the cameras. His sobs came from the fact that he couldn’t believe that he got the Prime Minister to listen to him.

The real shocker though, was when the Prime Minister suddenly crossed floors to give him a hug. MPs from both sides of the benches were gobsmacked as they watched the two do something that not even Nick Clegg and David Cameron (or David Cameron and Ed Miliband) dared to do.

“What the fuck, Jeremy!” Owen Smith mouthed as he was elbowed by the MP seated beside him.

“Oh, the press is going to have a field day with this!” Rebecca Long-Bailey, one of Jeremy’s frontbenchers commented.

“Well shit.” Was all that John McDonnell could utter

“I’m pretty sure Andrea is the only person happy with this.” Boris Johnson commented as he eyed on Andrea Leadsom, who seemed to look so pleased with the sight before her.

Watching from the television in his office, Philip May was just as gobsmacked as everyone in the House of Commons when he saw his wife cross floors to hug the sobbing Leader of the Opposition.

“Congratulations Philip!” his coworker said, “Looks like Labour just handed your wife another five years for the Conservatives.”

“Right.” Another coworker of his said, “Labour made a terrible mistake in electing that Jeremy Corbyn chap. They should have kept Miliband!”

“I-I can’t believe Jeremy Corbyn sobbed in Parliament on PMQs.” Philip said as his eyes were fixed on the television, “I never knew that chap could burst into tears in front of my wife and all those MPs.”

“Labour didn’t adapt the slogan of _Kinder Politics_ or whatever that was for nothing after they dumped Ed Miliband.” The same coworker who wished for Miliband to have remained as Labour leader remarked.

Philip, at that moment, could swear that he must be stuck in a room full of Ed Miliband fanboys. They could have said Yvette Cooper should have ran Labour, or Ed Balls – but they preferred Miliband. Yes, he did like that Ed Miliband chap too, but he’d rather see 10 Downing Street and the United Kingdom in the hands of his wife than in the hands of the Bacon Sandwich-eating Labourite who fell out of favor because his party suddenly wanted a hardcore socialist to rule them.

* * *

Right after PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn was met by a furious Liz Kendall and a bevy of other Blairite MPs. They were obviously not impressed with his cryfest inside the House of Commons.

“Tony Blair would never do this if he were still Labour leader!” One MP ranted, “What did we do to deserve this crying Sexpot Trot?” But hey, they’d rather have a war criminal than a crying Sexpot Trot, right?

“Oh shit, Liz is lashing at him.” Another MP said, alerting everyone else to pay attention to Liz Kendall who is now facing the Labour leader.

“Congratulations you _Sexpot Trot_! By crying at the PMQs, you just handed the Tories their victory in 2020!” Liz said with sheer irritation in her voice, followed by a slap on Jeremy’s face, “I hope you’re happy with your political demise. The Prime Minister must be laughing at you right now as we speak.”

“Liz Kendall for Labour Leader!” One of the Labour backbenchers shouted as she passed by the scene that was Liz Kendall slapping Jeremy Corbyn whose face is now as red as his party’s colors.

“Liz, you don’t understand!” Jeremy said as he rubbed the part of his face that was slapped by Liz, “For heaven’s sake, I cried because I was so overwhelmed that our Tory Prime Minister stopped having _such_ a cold heart for once!”

“Mr. Corbyn, I heard that!” Theresa shouted, nudging Jeremy as she passed by him, “Oh by the way, your snot is coming out of your nose.” She added as she handed him a handkerchief before disappearing among the crowd of MPs.

It turned out Jeremy Corbyn was crying once again, thanks to the heavy slap that Liz Kendall landed on his face. For good measure, another Blairite MP stepped forward and slapped Jeremy on the face, causing Jeremy to wince in pain and causing him to release more tears.

Liz and her bevy of Blairites MPs then walked out, leaving a teary Jeremy Corbyn using the Prime Minister’s handkerchief to wipe his tears (and his snot!). Luckily, John McDonnell had just come out of the men’s restroom and he went straight to Jeremy, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“You okay, Jeremy?” He asked as he leaned closer to him.

“I just got manhandled by the Blairites!” Jeremy replied as he turned his head to face his Shadow Treasury Secretary.

“What do you mean by that?” John asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this

“Liz Kendall and this one Blairite MP of hers just slapped me hard on the face.” Jeremy was sobbing once again, unable to grasp the fact that one of his Labour MPs managed to confront him like that, “They said I was going to make Labour lose the elections in 2020 because I cried at PMQs. We’re not going to lose, right?”

“Jeremy! If there’s one thing people are feeling about this right now, they are proud of you.” John said, “For once, you made the Prime Minister listen to you. You’re getting positive reactions, I mean look at this!” he added as he handed his phone over to Jeremy, with the Twitter app open.

The tweet from Owen Jones read:

_Labour has a victory today and it’s not even 2020 yet. He’s made the PM walk the talk and that is a feat in itself._

Another tweet from another Labour supporter read:

_Is it me or is 2017 undoing the mess that 2016 left? Jeremy Corbyn just made Theresa May adopt his constituent’s baby!_

And another tweet read:

_Congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn! I was never wrong to vote for him as Labour leader. He’s the only one who can stand up to the Tories._

_That should stop him from regretting what he just did at PMQs_ , John thought to himself as he watched Jeremy scroll down the Twitter feed in glee.

* * *

Theresa was seated on her couch in 10 Downing Street as she alternated between playing with Hilda and going through the paperwork in her Red Box. Before she knew it, Hilda crawled into the open Red Box that was set on top of the couch.

“Darling, Hilda’s in your Red Box.” Philip said as he emerged from the kitchen, making his way to the couch where his wife and baby settled. Hilda, meanwhile, started to bite the edges of the red box.

“I know.” Theresa said as she continued going through her paperwork, “I still can’t believe Jeremy Corbyn cried over that wee lass in the Red Box.” She added, referring to Hilda.

“My coworkers just said they wanted Ed Miliband back after that scene that Corbyn made at the PMQs!” Philip said, chuckling.

“Fiona just told me that my _Mayllenials_ – my young supporters, think that I’m miles better than that Justin Trudeau chap from Canada!” Theresa said with a chuckle, taking Hilda out of the Red Box and back into her arms afterwards, “Can you imagine that? Then again, I have more experience under my belt than that bloke.”

“Looks like our stay in 10 Downing Street is getting extended!” Philip was really excited at the prospect of it. Living in 10 Downing Street was such a blessing for him, or maybe that was just him starting to like his instant celebrity status as the Prime Minister’s consort.

“Did you hear that, Hilda? We’re staying longer here!” Theresa said to baby Hilda, who only responded to her with babbling, one that had an excited tone on it. She then kissed the baby on the cheeks and all of a sudden, the baby started sucking on her nose and it felt _ticklish_.

Hilda then stopped sucking and started to giggle and when Theresa got a glimpse of the baby’s mouth, she found that Hilda’s front tooth was starting to show. That explained why Hilda sucked her nose, and tried to bite the edges of the red box that she sat on before that.

“Well, looks like Hilda is getting her first tooth.” Theresa announced

“So that was why she’s been biting anything she comes across with recently.” Philip spoke, remembering that in the past few days, Hilda has been biting his or his wife’s fingers, or the surface of her crib, or the pillows, the blankets and basically any surface she would think of biting.

That’s another victory for the Mays – besides the chance of them having another five years in 10 Downing Street after their matriarch crossed floors to hug the crying opposition leader earlier that day.


	10. Mummy Dearest

“It’s been a fucking week since that Donald Trump bloke-“ Boris ranted

“You mean your twin brother?” Liz Truss playfully asked

“Liz, just because I was born in New York and just because I resemble him doesn’t mean he’s my brother.” Oh, Boris was now visibly pissed.

“Come on Boris, we all know you’d be damn happy if they ran a DNA test and it said you and Donald are related.” Justine Greening entered the office, laying her palm on the Foreign Secretary’s shoulder as she spoke.

“That bloke has been begging me to let him come here!” Boris was flooding with frustration, “For heaven’s sake, the Prime Minister doesn’t want him to. I’m having a hard time telling him that he can’t come over.”

“And what are you going to do then?” Andrea Leadsom asked as she walked behind where Boris was sitting, “Run to your mummy and tell her to tell Mr. Trump off?”

“Shut it, _Mummy Dearest_!” Boris piped up, “That _Manchild_ thinks I’m a Poundland version of him when he’s a Poundland version _of me_!” and just before anyone could utter a word, the door to the cabinet room opened again – revealing the Prime Minister wearing her baby on a sling.

Andrea was gobsmacked as she watched her boss, the woman she once made fun of for not being a mother, strutting into the room confidently while wearing her six month old baby. “Good morning, everyone!” Theresa said.

“G-good morning, Prime Minister.” Andrea said as she was taken aback. Gosh, it never occurred to her that Theresa looked so skillful juggling the baby and the United Kingdom. It’s only been six months since she had the baby but she seemed like she’s had years of experience behind her as a mother, “Y-your wee lass looks so lovely today.” She added, referring to Hilda, “And so do you, of course!”

“Oooh, who’s the cute little lass!” Liz cooed as she gave Hilda’s cheeks a squeeze, “Yes, you’re the cute lass!” and Hilda started giggling.

“Hello sweetie!” Justine said as she planted a kiss on Hilda’s forehead, eliciting a giggle from the baby, yet again, “You look so cute today!”

At this point, the entire cabinet was just gawking at how cute Hilda was that the Prime Minister herself had to break it out – and remind them that they have come together to the Cabinet Room to discuss important matters and not gawk on her baby.

* * *

“Prime Minister, Donald Trump won’t stop bugging me about wanting to come here to the United Kingdom. Even when I’ve told him what you told me that we can’t accommodate him, _HE JUST WON’T STOP!_ That bastard even had the audacity to call me while I was watching some shows on Netflix!”

“Too much information, Boris!” Philip Hammond piped up, “We didn’t need to know about that time Trump called you while you were watching some shows on Netflix!”

“Boris, first of all, you need to exercise conviction.” Theresa said, referring to Boris’ inability to straight up say no to Donald Trump, “And secondly, stop giving out too much information. That’s why Michael Gove killed your political career.” Then Theresa aimed a knowing glare at Boris.

Boirs slinked down his seat and remained speechless for the rest of the meeting. However, it was not only Boris who remained speechless the entire meeting, there was also Andrea Leadsom. It was not the policies being discussed that left her speechless but rather, it was the Prime Minister herself that caused her to be speechless.

She found it unsettling that ever since the Prime Minister became a mother, she started finding her sexy. Especially when she comes round her office with the baby in her arms. _Andrea, get yourself together for heaven’s sake!_ , she thought to herself as she tried her best to focus on the cabinet meeting.

Theresa seemed to notice this because she started giving her knowing gazes every now and then. Andrea, realizing that she must have been noticed, tried so hard to avoid the Prime Minister’s gaze. At one point, Theresa even pointed on her own cheek when she gazed at Andrea – that was because she had noticed Andrea blush whenever she gazed at her.

Well, there was an hour down until the meeting ends. An hour more for Andrea to desperately conceal what she’s feeling.

* * *

The cabinet meeting had at last, been adjourned. Cabinet ministers were now filing out of the cabinet room and Andrea was in a desperate hurry to leave the cabinet room. She was armed with an excuse as well, just in case the Prime Minister would make her stay behind. She would tell her that she still had paperwork to go over – you know, the usual stuff that cabinet ministers would do.

“Mrs. Leadsom, mind if you stay behind a bit.”

And Andrea froze from her steps. Unsure of whether to flee from the cabinet room, state her excuse or stay behind. Theresa’s tone sounded more like an order than a request. She knew what would happen if she defied her – it would cost her like it cost her Conservative Party leadership bid.

“Y-yes, sure Prime Minister.” Andrea said as she turned around to face Theresa.

“Are you alright?” Theresa asked as she tried hard not to laugh at a blushing Andrea

“Y-yes, I’m definitely alright.” Andrea replied, “Just a bit shocked, that’s all.”

“I’ve noticed, you looked so flustered the entire time.” Theresa wasted no time being straight to the point about this. She’s noticed Andrea being flustered around her ever since she entered the cabinet room earlier on.

“D-do you really need to know why?” Andrea whined, “That is really none of your business.” And now, Andrea was trying her hardest to look calm. But she isn’t.

“I’m your boss. I am concerned. Of course I need to know.”

“I-It’s just that I realized I’ve started to find you sexy-”

“There’s no shame in that, Andrea. Half of the Parliament would probably agree with you.”

“-Ever since you became a mum.”

“Ha! I knew it.” And now, Theresa bursted laughing as Andrea was left gobsmacked

“For your information, I don’t have a _thing_ for you or whatever your Mayllenials call it.” Andrea spoke as she tried to tug on her cardigan’s sleeves, “However, can I ask for a favor?”

“Anything for my Secretary of State for the Environment.” Theresa said with a genuine smile on her face

“I-I want to kiss you…” Andrea said, eliciting a weird look on Theresa’s face

“A-and the baby…on the forehead!” Andrea added. She was trying to make this as platonic as possible hence the need for her to kiss Hilda on the forehead too.

Then Theresa adjusted the baby sling, so that Hilda was now facing outwards, then she nodded her head – a signal that it was okay for Andrea to plant those kisses, “Well, what are you waiting for?” Theresa asks.

Without hesitation, Andrea jumps into the tide – planting a forehead kiss on Hilda first, then on Theresa. The kiss on the latter lasted much longer, with Andrea cupping the Prime Minister’s face, even. After what seemed like eternity, Andrea broke from the forehead kiss. Her face looking satisfied.

Unexpectedly, Theresa also cups Andrea’s face and returns the favor. The forehead kiss lasting just as long as the one that her Secretary of State for the Environment had left on her. “Now, we’re even.” Theresa remarked with a smile.

“Thank you so much, Prime Minister!” Andrea said as a smile radiated on her face.

“I don’t mind at all, _Mummy Dearest_!” Theresa said, half-mockingly. Now, she’s finally got back at Andrea Leadsom.

Oh yes, Andrea Leadsom, the _Mummy of the House of Commons_.

That’s what happens when you make a gaffe on a major interview about how you’d be a _great Prime Minister_ because you’re a mum.


	11. Of Meetings and Cooking Lessons

As Article 50’s activation was made in March of 2017, the meetings between the Scottish First Minister and the Prime Minister were becoming more frequent. This particular time, it was the First Minister who came to 10 Downing Street to see the Prime Minister.

With her own baby comfortably secured by a sling that she wears, Nicola Sturgeon laid down a sample of the Scottish Government’s Baby Box. A revolutionary item given to new mothers in Scotland starting in the year 2017 – which was the current year, of course.

“This was the baby box that the Scottish Government gave me when I gave birth to Andrew.” Nicola said as she laid down the Baby Box on the Prime Minister’s desk, “Quite a useful gem, am I right?”

Theresa nodded in agreement as she listened on to Nicola explaining, “Now, Prime Minister. This Baby Box contains all the essentials needed in an infant’s first few years in life. Diapers, milk, books, pillows, clothes, you name it!”

“And how is this supposed to help a post-Brexit United Kingdom?” Theresa asks as she tried to steady her hold on Hilda. At six months old, she moved quite a lot and thus, it was important for her mother (or anyone who holds her, really) to make sure that their grip on her is steady.

“The Leavers claim that if they take back control of the United Kingdom, social welfare, particularly strengthening the NHS budget will be prioritized.” Nicola explains, “The former has already happened but the latter? I don’t see it happening on the rest of the country yet – and so, my input on these Baby Boxes are therefore necessary.”

“That’s a fair enough explanation.” Theresa remarks, “Tell me, Nicola, what else does that miracle box of yours do?”

“Oh yes, I almost forgot.” Nicola said as she emptied the box of its contents, “Did I forget to mention that Baby Boxes also serve as makeshift cribs.” And now, she placed Andrew into the box to prove that particular function of the Baby Box.

“Can it fit two babies?” Theresa beamed up.

“Why don’t we give it a try, then?” Nicola asked

Carefully, Theresa lowered Hilda into the box – placing the six month old baby just beside the First Minister’s three month-old. Surprisingly enough, the two babies fit snuggly into the box – giving Theresa the idea that giving one Baby Box for a mother who is to give birth to twins could be plausible. After all, the Tories needed to plan the spending carefully if they were to introduce the Baby Box to the rest of the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister and the First Minister observed as their babies lay on the Baby Box. Hilda was now grabbing Andrew by the nose as Andrew tried to grasp on her cheeks.

“Ooooh, look at our wee babies!” Nicola endearingly said as she pointed at the two babies in the Baby Box. Now, Hilda was sucking on Andrew’s cheek. Andrew suddenly started to cry and then Theresa remembered, her daughter was already teething – of course Andrew would feel pain when Hilda sucks on his cheek.

Carefully, Theresa removed Hilda from the Baby Box, leaving Andrew behind (who was still crying). “You naughty lass,” she playfully told her baby, “how dare you bite the First Minister’s son!” she added as she softly pokes her on the chest. All Hilda did was giggle at her once more, baring her growing front tooth.

“Oh, so that’s what’s causing pain.” Nicola said as she saw Hilda’s open mouth, revealing her first milk tooth, “My…your wee lass sure is _growing so fast_!” then Nicola chuckled as she took Andrew out of the Baby Box to soothe him.

“She’s gone quite heavy.” Theresa said as she adjusted Hilda in her arms, “And quite squirmy at times.”

Nicola then leaned down to plant a kiss on Hilda’s cheek, only for Hilda to suck the First Minister’s cheek as well. Theresa tried her hardest to move Hilda away but Hilda won’t just stop latching on the First Minister’s cheek.

“Not to mention that she’s been biting a lot lately.” Theresa stated, “My red box, pillows, blankets, my nose,” Nicola laughed when Theresa had mentioned that Hilda has bitten her nose, “Philip’s shoulder, Andrew’s cheek, and now your cheek as well!”

“I-I’m completely fine, Prime Minister.” Nicola said as she tried to ease her cheek out of Hilda’s mouth, “Nothing to worry about.” She added, smiling (and completely oblivious to the slight pain from Hilda’s latching of her cheek).

“Well then, would you like to drop by the apartment?” This was a usual fixture in the last few meetings that Theresa and Nicola had. It was usually for a cup of tea over extended discussions on policies.

“I don’t mind at all.” And so, Nicola returned the contents of the Baby Box back (to the Baby Box, obviously) and with their babies in tow, she and the Prime Minister made their way to the 10 Downing Street Apartment.

* * *

Philip May had returned from work when he was suddenly met with his wife and the Scottish First Minister lounging in the living room. As if by instinct, Philip immediately rushed to his wife’s side, giving her a kiss on the cheek and then giving their daughter a kiss on the cheek as well.

“Hello there you wee lass!” Philip cooed, “Daddy misses you so much!”

“But you were only gone for a day!” Theresa quipped, much to the laughter of Nicola

“Good for you, you got to bring Hilda to work and if you don’t, you get to see her during your breaks.” Philip shot back, “Of course you wouldn’t feel the same way as I do.”

“Philip does have a point, Prime Minister.” Nicola added

“I was just kidding!” Theresa protests

“Here you go, sweetie.” Philip said as he offered a finger to Hilda, who immediately started to bite it, “I believe Theresa has told you, Hilda has been biting a lot recently.” He said, now turning to Nicola.

“I’ve heard.” Nicola replied, “Even my son and I aren’t spared.”

“The pediatrician says its normal.” Philip said, “It should be gone in a week or so, when the tooth has popped out completely. However, she’d obviously grow more teeth so she’d be biting a lot for a year.”

“Did you try giving her a teether?” Nicola asks

“Honestly, I haven’t thought of that.” Philip admits

“Well then,” Nicola says as she rummaged through the Baby Box, pulling the teether out afterwards, “This should do!”

“Thank you!” Philip said, receiving the teether. He then gives it to Hilda who finally stops biting his finger and pays attention to biting the teether instead.

“Right,” Theresa says, “Look after Hilda and Andrew for us, will you. Nicola and I have decided to cook up some food – she’s been begging me to impart to her my culinary skills. _Didn’t you_?” she then turned to Nicola.

“No I didn’t!” Nicola protests

“Oh, don’t mind her dear.” Theresa tells Philip, “She’s is in fact, so excited for it!”

Theresa then takes Andrew from Nicola’s arms, after which, she hands both her daughter and Nicola’s son to Philip – leaving the British First Gentleman with an _armful of baby_.

* * *

Nicola admitted to being a bad cook and true enough, it was showing as she helped the Prime Minister prepare lunch. The Prime Minister had decided that they were having “breakfast for lunch”. Quite unconventional for her, but she does practice that sometimes.

“Your bacon is still so raw that David Cameron wants to shag it!” Theresa shouted as she looked over to Nicola who was struggling to fry the bacon. Philip could not help but laugh at his wife’s witty remark on Nicola’s attempt at frying a bacon.

“I’m sorry, _Mummy_!” Nicola said as she used the fish slice to flip the bacon over. Theresa had decided that she was better off frying the bacon after messing up her first five attempts at frying a sunny side up egg.

“My…when will you ever learn…” Theresa says as she went back to frying the eggs

After Nicola managed to finish frying up the bacon (half of which appeared to be burnt), Theresa asked her to cook up the sausages next. At this point, it appeared that Theresa wasn’t really cooking but rather, taking the pleasure in seeing Nicola try so badly at cooking.

Nicola carefully cooked up one sausage after another, sometimes wincing when the a small portion of the cooking oil jumps up to her skin. All Theresa did was laugh at her whenever this happened. Nevertheless, Nicola still persevered at cooking (because she didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of the Prime Minister and her husband).

“Well, how are we doing here?” Philip said as she entered the kitchen, with both babies still in his arms

“I’m quite fine.” Nicola says as she puts the last batch of sausages on the plate, “I’m _actually_ getting the hang of this!”

“Not quite!” Theresa pipes up, “She almost burnt the bacon!”

“Don’t be too hard on her now, dear.” Philip said as he walked behind his wife, “She’s just learning – and she’s learning quite fast for someone who confesses that she is awful at cooking.”

“Right, let me just get the pudding.” Theresa then headed for the oven to take out the fresh batch of Yorkshire pudding that she had just finished. They were made so well that they were so mouthwatering. After popping the pudding out of the mold, she placed it on the plate along with the sausage, eggs and bacon that Nicola had mostly prepared.

“Well, how did I do?” Nicola asked

Theresa then takes a piece of the bacon and tastes it. Followed by a piece of the sausage. Her lips curl into a smile but not quite. Just enough to say that she’s satisfied – but not so satisfied. She then offers a piece of bacon and a piece of the sausage to Philip, who eats them straight from her hand. Unlike Theresa though, Philip’s smile looked quite bigger. However, Nicola still had a lot to improve with her cooking.

“I wouldn’t say you did well but I wouldn’t say you did badly either.” Theresa replies, “I just hope no one is going to get food poisoning from this.”

“Actually, Nicola’s cooking is acceptable.” Philip says as he struggles to form a “thumbs up” while holding on to the two babies. The two babies then giggle, prompting Philip to say, “I think Hilda and Andrew here agree with me, don’t you two?”

Nicola then takes a piece of the bacon and sausage that she cooked, slowly chewing them and strongly hoping that she didn’t cook an abomination. Fortunately, a smile curls on her lips too, “Wow, I actually managed to make this edible!” she said, prompting Theresa and Philip to laugh at her.


	12. Diplomacy and Tank Races

**Ottawa, Canada – October 2017**

Canada is already a month into fall – streets were littered by browned leaves falling off the trees. The air has become a bit more chilly than it did a couple of months back. Justin Trudeau was at the runway of the Ottawa International Airport with his wife and cabinet in tow. At that day, the British Prime Minister was expected to arrive for a state visit.

Waiting for what seemed to be hours was no problem for everyone there. Especially for Justin and Sophie who are already accustomed to standing in the middle of seemingly chilly weather - spending most of their life in Quebec prepared them well enough to be able to stand the cold weather that most people wouldn’t be able to withstand.

Standing at the runway and waiting for foreign dignitaries to arrive gave Justin the nostalgia of his childhood days. One spent with him accompanying his father to state visits. In those days, he wondered if Heads of Government and Heads of State of the countries they visited waited this long for his father’s arrival. He remembered getting off the plane with his father and together with him, he greeted the crowds at the airport that met them. Then the Head of Government or State of the country they come to would usually not just pose for pictures with his father, but with him as well. Some of these heads of state would even tell him that he might just grow up to be the next Prime Minister of Canada (and boy, they were right!).

Their wait was finally over when they spotted a plane belonging to the British Government taxiing towards the spot of the runway where Canadian dignitaries and the red carpet stood. A small part of Justin felt unsettled – something about the British Prime Minister intimidated him. Sophie noticed that her husband was starting to feel unsettled as she went on to give him knowing glares. The one that said, _for heaven’s sake Justin, she’s not going to kill you!_

Of course, one may say that Justin’s unsettlement towards the British Prime Minister is irrational but unfortunately, Justin Trudeau is not the only world leader who _might_ run back to his mummy’s arms at the sight of the British Prime Minister. Many other world leaders seemed to feel that way. Apparently, even the US President felt that way despite his persistent attempts to meet up with the British Prime Minister.

The plane’s door opened, unveiling the British Prime Minister herself, with an infant on her arms, not older than ten months – behind her was her husband. This gave Justin memories of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s visit to Canada where they brought their children along. Unlike Will and Kate (as they are colloquially called), this British dignitary couple before his eyes actually have work ethic and a sense of responsibility – two qualities that Will and Kate seemed to lack.

And unlike Will and Kate, Justin had observed, the British Prime Minister and her husband did not see the need to swamp their daughter with over-the-top dresses (despite the British Prime Minister herself being known to wear eye-catching clothing). Clearly a manifestation that they do not see their child as merely an accessory to be flaunted to the press.

The British Prime Minister was clad in a deep red body contouring dress paired up with a black suede coat; She has also worn a pair of black stockings, with the look completed by a pair of kitten heels of the same color. Her husband followed right behind, clad in a deep red top underneath his black coat as well. Their daughter, who rested in her mother’s arms, was wrapped by a black coat.

“Prime Minister May, welcome to Canada!” Justin said as he extended his hand for his British counterpart to shake

Theresa adjusted her hold on Hilda, shaking her Canadian counterpart’s hand afterwards, “It is a pleasure to finally make it to this country, Prime Minister Trudeau!” she said. This, elicited a slight smile on Justin Trudeau – not because Justin is uninterested but because he figured out it would be a bad idea to look overenthusiastic in front of her.

“So, Prime Minister. Isn’t it marvelous? Here we are, some thirty years later – A woman Prime Minister for the UK and a Trudeau Prime Minister for Canada!” Justin said as he and Theresa walked along. The Canadian Prime Minister treaded carefully, he was briefed that Theresa was not the one to have small talk with but being the risk taker he is, he decided to have small talk anyway – but took care to it to make it sound serious.

“Marvelous, indeed.” Theresa wasn’t the kind who’d engage with small talk with her colleagues and counterparts, however, she let this one pass. She did notice Justin putting clear effort not to sound so superficial and she appreciated it, “A coincidence, they would call it. Pity that the Americans got a reality TV show host who is nowhere as good as Ronald Raegan.” She added.

That of course, made Justin laugh. He never expected Theresa to insult Donald Trump in such a subtle way. In fact, he thought Theresa would 100% tolerate Trump when Trump had won. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.

* * *

**Edinburgh, Scotland**

Liz Kendall drove a tank towards the Bute House, the residence of the Scottish First Minister. Liz was very determined to beat a certain Scottish Tory. When she had successfully parked her tank (which she was able to borrow at a Scottish Military Base thanks to a good friend she knew there), she climbed up to the hatch, opening it up, before emerging out of the tank.

Opposite her was another tank, and a butch figure standing on top of it, “The weather here sure is nice, eh?” the figure asks. Liz puts her attention on the figure, revealed to be Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives.

“Such a nice weather to wipe your Tory ass out.” Liz muttered as she looked up at the skies. It was a bit dark, with the sun barely peeping out. It was already fall, after all.

“You brought this upon yourself, Kendall.” Ruth said as she turned around to face the Blairite MP who was just as equally skilled as her in warfare, or so she has been told.

“Just so that you’d know, I told my dear friend at a military base here that repairs for this tank will be billed to you.” Liz said with a mischievous smile, “I’m glad that she’s obliged to my request.”

“Look Kendall. I’m still going to end you anyway.” And with that, Ruth Davidson entered through the hatch of her tank – Liz also did the same, returning into her tank.

When they had settled in their respective tanks, they started driving their tanks – taking care to hit each other’s tanks. They had agreed before this that whoever has the most damaged tank would have to donate to the competing political party on the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections.

Nicola Sturgeon stirred on her bed as noises coming from the tanks hitting each other outside continued. When she had finally opened her eyes, she checked the clock – it was six in the morning. _Who in the right mind would make so much noise at six in the morning?_ , she asked herself as she slowly got up the bed, looking back at her husband who surprisingly, slept soundly despite all the noise from outside.

Peering out of the window, Nicola saw two tanks chasing each other – crashing on each other from time to time. She wondered who sent those tanks in front of the Bute House and why the people driving the tanks saw the need to duke it out in front of her residence.

Suddenly, a cry of a baby was heard, prompting Peter Murrell out of his slumber. Noticing that Nicola was already awake and preoccupied with whatever was going outside, he offered to get the baby for her. A short walk to the hallway, turning to the room on the right, Peter took a crying Andrew out of his crib – soothing him as he made his way back to the master’s bedroom.

“Oh my god, Peter!” Nicola shouted from the window, “You have to look at this!” and now, she was pointing out of the window where one could see Liz Kendall and Ruth Davidson standing on top of their tanks, bickering.

“Well, do you want me to call the police? The military?” Peter asked

“I don’t think that’s necessary yet.” Nicola said as she took Andrew from Peter’s arms, “Hand me over my phone, will you?” and Peter obeyed dutifully, fetching his wife’s phone from the side table. After which, he handed it over to Nicola who adjusted Andrew on her arms so that she could be able to carry him while tweeting at the same time.

At this point, Ruth and Liz were already off their tanks and on the ground, engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Ruth was throwing punches at Liz as Liz smoothly evaded her. Liz, being petite, could easily evade Ruth.

“What are you going to do now, you filthy Tory?” Liz taunted, “Your _Mummy_ is in London while I can have Kezia come over to help me in an instant in one phone call!” By Mummy, of course, Liz was referring to the Prime Minister.

“I can perfectly take care of you myself!” Ruth said as she proceeded to tackle Liz, “Don’t you ever think that you can beat me so easily. Too bad your _Daddy_ isn’t here to save you!” By Daddy, Ruth was referring to Tony Blair, whom Liz has great fondness of.

Liz struggled to dial Kezia’s number and she put the phone on loudspeaker just in case Ruth renders her unable to continue holding her phone.

“Hello, this is Kezia Dugdale!”

“Damn it Kezia! Your Scottish Tory friend here is trying to kill me!” Liz said frantically

“Oi, don’t you ever think of coming here, Dugdale!” Ruth threatened, “Or your _wee friend_ here is going to be crushed.” She added as she applied pressure on Liz’s stomach using her knee.

“Oh come on Ruth, leave her alone!” Kezia said to Ruth, laughing afterwards, “Leave the poor English lass alone!”

“She brought this upon herself!” Ruth shouted

“No I didn’t!” Liz piped back, “You came up to me at a pub in Glasgow and set me up to this.”

“What exactly is happening here?” Kezia could not help but ask

“Ruth Davidson challenged me to a tank race.” Liz said as she struggled to break free from Ruth’s hold, “And if I won, she was going to donate to the Scottish Labour Party. If I lost, I donate to her party.”

“Well then, I appreciate your effort, Liz!” Kezia said, “Now beat her up to shreds! Come on you English lass!”

Liz regained strength and grabbed Ruth, pushing her down the ground and eventually sitting on top of her. She took extra care to apply pressure on Ruth using her petite but strong butt. To Liz’s horror, she found a lot of people watching them – apparently, she and Ruth were too busy fighting not to notice that people were already watching them.

“Mummy, is Miss Dugdale going to get more money?” A child of a Scottish Labour supporter asked

“Oh yes, she will.” The child’s mother answers

Just in time, Nicola came out from the front door of the Bute House, clad in a robe with wee Andrew in her arms. Peter followed behind her, “Well, is everybody enjoying the show?” Nicola shouts.

A chorus of “YES” was heard. With that, Nicola felt impressed. Her efforts from livetweeting the tank race bore fruit – in the form of people congregating outside the Bute House to watch Liz and Ruth duke it out over which one of them gets to donate to the other’s party.

“Did you send all these people here?” Ruth Davidson asks

“I may have sent them all here.” Nicola replies, “By the way, Kezia says you better pay up to her!”

“Ha!” Liz shouted, “Even the First Minister of Scotland thinks I won.”

“Why?” Ruth groaned

“Maybe you and your _wee Labourite friend_ here should have thought twice before waking me up at 6 am like that!” Nicola shouted

“Wait, you mean I’m not off the hook?” Liz asks

“Not at all.” Nicola replies. Ruth felt that this wasn’t over yet so she decided to start storming over Nicola, not before Liz pulls her back.

“Oh dear…” Peter quips as he and Nicola go about face and back into the Bute House.

* * *

“Ruth Elizabeth Davidson, what in the bloody hell have you done?” Theresa growled angrily on the phone as news footage of the tank race in front of the Bute House came on TV.

“Trust me Prime Minister, it was harmless!” came Ruth’s response

“Harmless? Really Davidson?” Theresa asked, “The news of this tank race you and that Liz Kendall lass did has reached Canada. Does that still sound harmless to you?”

“Well, you do have a point.” Ruth said, with a tone of defeat in her voice, “However, Liz Kendall took the challenge of a tank race. If she had declined my challenge, this would _never happen_. Trust me Prime Minister, I did not coerce her into doing this.”

“In case you missed it, you and Liz are now under investigation!”

“Can’t we just settle this? Can’t Liz and I just pay off the damages and call this a day?”

“Well excuse me, you and Liz just damaged government property, _in front_ of a government property. An investigation is very much in order.”

“W-well then Prime Minister. I’ll face the investigation.” Was all that Ruth could say. Oh, Ruth was so gobsmacked right now. That harmless tank race turned out to be its complete opposite – not to mention that many other countries knew of it already.

* * *

 

Besides the minor inconvenience that was Ruth Davidson and Liz Kendall’s tank race gone wrong, the British Prime Minister’s first day in Canada was going rather well. At the Canadian House of Commons, she received the welcome honors given to visiting heads of government (or heads of state). Of course, a part of that was for her to make a short speech to everyone in the chamber.

“I am very grateful and honored to be present here today.” The British Prime Minister said, “A year into my term as Prime Minister and I have finally paid a state visit to one of the countries closest to us. I do believe an apology is in order due to the fact that I did a state visit to the United States first, before coming here.” And she giggled after making that cheeky apology for prioritizing the United States over Canada – that, of course, elicited laughter from the chamber as well.

“I do assure you that the special relationship between the United Kingdom and Canada remains,” she continued, “Canada will always have a place in the Global Britain – as one of our closest partners and as a Commonwealth Nation. Once again, I thank the Prime Minister and the Canadian people for receiving me gracefully on this state visit.”

When her speech ended, the MPs who were in the chamber as well as the people at the viewing gallery gave her a round of applause. One that said, _it’s about damn time you focus on Canada!_ Before being led to the viewing gallery, the Prime Minister of Canada shook her hand – as it was customary. Although, the British Prime Minister noticed, his grip was quite tight, as if he’s known her for so long. Apparently, she was briefed, prior to the trip, Justin Trudeau acting so close to people he’s just met was probably just a result of his being a French Canadian.


	13. Baby Lifting and an Interrogation

“Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Prime Minister’s approach on dealing with President Trump over the issue of immigration is **_uncalled_** for.” Lisa Raitt, the Leader of the Opposition said, “While Canada, as a partner of the United States, has the right to suggest to the said country when it comes to matters like immigration – we **_do not_** have the right to impose our suggestions to them. That, everyone, is what the Prime Minister has done!”

“Mr. Prime Minister!” Geoff Regan called out

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.” Justin Trudeau proceeded, “The Leader of the Opposition just said that Canada is the partner of the United States. My approach to President Trump was only necessary given that we do have **_a special relationship_** with the United States – meaning, we do look out for them and give them fraternal correction when necessary.”

At the viewer’s gallery of the Canadian House of Commons sat the British Prime Minister and her husband, with their ten month-old daughter in tow. Earlier that day, they received the welcome honors to the Canadian House of Commons and she had to make a short speech. Now, she was watching her Canadian counterparts argue.

“Mr. Trudeau tends to butt into things a lot, you know.” Philip commented

“Well, what do you expect from a Liberal, dear?” Theresa asked, “At least he’s not as _persuasive_ as Jeremy Corbyn.” And boy, Theresa does remember how persuasive her Labour counterpart could get – and that was partly the reason why she is now a mother to the ten month-old that rests on her lap. And, for some reason, she blushed at the thought of how persuasive Jeremy Corbyn is. Like what else can he possibly persuade her into doing?

“Not to mention, that Canadian chap does love to deflect, doesn’t he?” Philip remarked. Since they started to witness the proceedings that was the Question Period, he could not help but be nitpicky over Justin Trudeau every five minutes.

“He is infamous for that, dear.” Theresa said as she adjusted Hilda on her lap. Surprisingly enough, Hilda wasn’t squirming or crying at this point, despite Justin Trudeau and Lisa Raitt clearly being in an intense argument.

“I bet the Canadians would replace him with Lisa Raitt in a heartbeat!” Philip remarked. It was true, since Rona Ambrose ended her term as Leader of the Opposition, now, people wanted Lisa Raitt to be Prime Minister. Simply because Justin Trudeau wasn’t good enough for them already.

* * *

At the end of Question Period, Justin Trudeau personally went up to the viewing gallery to see how his distinguished guests were doing. There, he found the British Prime Minister and her husband playing with their baby.

“Who’s my beautiful wee lass?” Theresa asked her baby, “Yes, that’s you!” and she poked her finger on the baby’s nose, leading the baby to giggle. Philip then proceeded to place a kiss on the baby’s cheek.

“If you don’t mind, Mrs. Prime Minister…” Justin said, trying his best not to sound intrusive to the moment between parents and the baby, “Could I lift your baby?”

All of a sudden, Theresa remembered those articles she read – of the Canadian Prime Minister lifting babies with one hand on the campaign trail. She could not exactly figure out what makes it so appealing – wouldn’t it hurt the babies? Okay, maybe the babies wouldn’t get hurt, but isn’t it **_unbecoming_** for Prime Ministers to borrow random people’s babies and lift them with one hand?

“If our baby falls off, it’s going to be the end of British-Canadian relations!” Philip quipped playfully

“But seriously, hurt our darling Hilda and there will be _hell to pay_.” Theresa said as she protectively held Hilda close to her chest. However, Hilda was now squirming.

“I think she wants me to lift her.” Justin remarked as he started to make faces to the baby

“I think she’s _afraid_ of being lifted, _Justin_.” Theresa piped back. She rarely referred her colleagues or counterparts by their first name unless she is telling them off. The only other counterpart of hers to receive this treatment was Donald Trump – but that one was from pure rage.

“Come on, Prime Minister,” Justin pleaded, “I’ll be very careful of her.”

“Come on dear, let him lift our baby.” Philip pleaded, his beady eyes locking to his wife’s.

For a moment, Theresa gazed at Hilda, a gaze that was of concern. She was not quite sure whether having Justin Trudeau lift her baby with one hand was a good idea. On the other hand, a picture of Justin Trudeau lifting her baby with one hand would be a great addition to her keepsakes.

She still had a bit of reluctance in her but Theresa eventually handed Hilda to Justin – hoping and praying that the Canadian Prime Minister wouldn’t drop her in the process. Ever since she and Philip had Hilda, they have been _very_ protective towards her.

“Now, babies of this age aren’t obviously capable of standing up yet,” Justin explained as he carefully maneuvered Hilda into an upright position, “But…they desperately want to!” and now, Justin softly twisted Hilda’s ankles as he held her up. Hilda seemed to be very excited.

After a few tries, Justin was able to hold Hilda up with one hand. Theresa could not help but look in awe – she was more than convinced that Justin Trudeau does have a talent at lifting babies with one hand. Being the stage mother that she is, she took out her phone and took a picture of her Canadian counterpart holding her baby up with a single hand. Theresa found her daughter giggling as Justin Trudeau kept her lifted in an upright position with one hand. Quite surprising really, that her baby isn’t afraid of Justin Trudeau.

“See, that wasn’t so bad!” Justin said as he brought Hilda down after her mother had taken a picture of her. Hilda was now giggling as Justin held her close to his chest. It seemed like the British Prime Minister’s daughter liked Justin.

“I always thought you were such a reckless father, to be quite frank.” Theresa reacted as she took Hilda from Justin, “And I think I’ve been proven wrong. Or at least until you take me to Rideau Cottage later in the day.” Rideau Cottage was the temporary residence of the Prime Minister of Canada as 24 Sussex was undergoing renovations.

“You will see that I am perfectly capable of raising children!” Justin was in all of his confident glory this time because he managed to prove his British counterpart wrong about her fears that he’d drop her baby, “Never, have I ever, dropped a baby while lifting them with a single hand. I’ll have you know.” And then he sashayed out of the viewing room like a Miss Universe candidate returning to the backstage.

“What a flamboyant chap!” A bewildered Philip reacted.

“Just like his father!” Theresa added.

* * *

**_Edinburgh, Scotland_ **

Ruth Davidson and Liz Kendall found themselves in the interrogation room of a police station in Edinburgh. Quite frankly, this was not how they imagined for this day to turn out to be. Apparently, that tank race they did in front of the Bute House was illegal – and it didn’t help that Liz’s friend from the military wouldn’t answer her calls at a time when she desperately needed to be bailed out.

“Thanks a lot, Davidson!” A distressed Liz said, “Now we’re potentially in big legal trouble here!”

“You could have declined my challenge for a tank race!” Ruth said as she leaned back to the chair, “But since you’re so desperate about helping Kezia win the next Scottish Parliament elections…”

“I hope a wild haggis mauls you in your sleep!” Liz shouted

“For your information, English lass!” Ruth said, “There is _no such thing_ as a wild haggis. It’s something we tell American tourists to mess with them!”

Liz then pouted when Ruth Davidson effectively destroyed her childhood. All her life, she thought that wild haggis was a thing and when she came to Scotland for the first time, she attempted to join a wild haggis hunt. It didn’t help that the tourist guides she met that time would assert that wild haggi exists.

“Ms. Davidson, Ms. Kendall.” A police officer said as she sat down on the opposite end of the table that separated her and the rogue politicians, “Do you know why you are here today?”

“Apparently tank races are illegal here.” Ruth said as she made eye contact with the police officer

“But we didn’t kill anybody!” Liz insisted, hoping that the police would let her off the hook (oh she wanted to be out here!)

“According to our findings, Ms. Kendall brought a tank stolen from a military base.”

“It wasn’t stolen, ma’am!” Liz protested, “I _borrowed_ it. I have contacts from where that tank comes from and I promised to return it to them but then Ruth Davidson here-“

“Oh stop blaming me, Liz!” Ruth shot back, “If you had just declined my challenge to a tank race when we met at that pub!”

“It’s Nicola Sturgeon’s fault for calling the police anyway!” Liz replied, “This is why Kezia should have been First Minister of Scotland. We wouldn’t be interrogated by the police right now if Kezia were running Scotland!”

“Ladies!” The police officer called out, “Now, if you just coherently tell me what or who started this tank race, we could wrap up this interrogation as soon as possible!” It is going to be a long day for that poor police officer, perhaps.


	14. Warmth on a chilly Canadian fall

**_Rideau Cottage – Ottawa, Canada_ **

“So here’s our wee lass, having her first bite of Poutine.” Philip said as he recorded a video of his wife feeding their daughter a bit of the poutine that they were being served for dinner on their first night in Canada.

“Oh…she wants more!” Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau was heard saying at the background as Hilda tried to reach out for more Poutine that was on her mother’s plate.

“Tu l'aimes, chérie?” Philip asked Hilda as he brought his phone closer to her while recording the video. Philip could speak a bit of French, owning up to the fact that he grew up being exposed to the language by his mother (and Hilda’s grandmother) who made a living as a French teacher. At this point, Philip just wanted to score some brownie points with the Trudeaus. That’s why he saw the need to talk to the baby in French at this particular time.

With a fork, Theresa took a piece of the potato fries that made up the poutine and fed it to Hilda. Hilda was more than excited to grasp on that piece of poutine off the fork, and she tried her best to take a bite. Her biting looking more like sucking since she’s just started to grow her teeth and her teeth were still quite small.

“My daughter sure is growing fast!” Theresa remarked as she watched Hilda finish up the piece of poutine that she’s been eating, “Only ten months ago, she was a toothless baby who subsists merely on milk and now…she’s just had her first bite of poutine!”

“I have to guess that’s the first solid food you’ve attempted to feed her?” A curious Sophie asked

“Indeed.” Was the response of the British Prime Minister

“You know, Sophie and I would gladly take your family to Quebec the next time you come back!” Justin said, “It’s the birthplace of Poutine and the best Poutine comes from that part of Canada!”

“Hilda would love it!” Sophie added. She’s starting to imagine a slightly older Hilda being Poutine obsessed. For someone who isn’t Canadian, Hilda seemed to love poutine so much that one can actually see her grin as she finished up the piece of the potato fry from the poutine that was given to her.

* * *

As Theresa and Philip continued to talk to Sophie and Justin, the Trudeau kids decided to borrow Hilda. They were after all, so fond of her, ever since the British Prime Minister and his family set foot in the Rideau Cottage for dinner.

“Oh, aren’t you the cutest?” Ella-Grace asked as she pinched Hilda’s cheek

“Ooooh! Can we keep her?” was Xavier’s question because honestly, they could use another sister – especially after he and his siblings would overhear their parents musing about wanting to have another daughter.

“But she’s the British Prime Minister’s daughter!” Ella-Grace said, “I don’t think she’d appreciate if we took her only baby.” Ella-Grace was very aware of the fact that it took so long for the British Prime Minister to have her own child. She learned of it from newspaper articles that covered the British Prime Minister’s state visit to Canada.

“Oh, sorry.” Xavier said, his lips forming into a frown.

“Don’t worry, they might come back here again.” Ella-Grace said, “Or, papa would take us to the United Kingdom when he does a state visit.”

And Xavier lit up with a smile with what Ella-Grace said. Hilda was giggling as well, too – so was Hadrien who was following them behind. This time around, Hadrien sat in front of Hilda, squeezing her cheeks in so many directions. All Hilda could do was babble, as if to tell him to stop squeezing her cheeks so much.

“I think he likes her!” Xavier said as he watched Hadrien play with Hilda. When Hadrien had finished squeezing Hilda on the cheeks, this time, Hilda crawled straight to Hadrien and tried to grab his cheeks as well.

“Hilda stop!” Hadrien said in between giggles as Hilda continued to pinch his cheeks lightly. All Xavier and Ella-Grace did was watch as Hadrien dealt with being pinched by Hilda.

Meanwhile at the dining room, Theresa and Philip were sharing with the Trudeaus on how it felt like for them to become first-time parents after thirty years of marriage. Clearly, it was a wild journey for the both of them – none of them having expected to be at this situation as their marriage progressed.

“My counterpart from the other side of the bench got me into this.” Theresa said as she took a sip of red wine, “He seemed to have thought I was a hypocrite for wanting to put a limit on abortions yet refusing to help anyone affected by such limit. Oh, he was so wrong!”

“Okay then…” Justin reacted. Personally, he still thinks Theresa should have been more liberal in policies regarding abortion. Then again, he can’t really do much to convince her to do so because one, her political orientation was different from his and two, even if they had more or less the same political orientation, it was hard to change her mind. She stands firm with what she stands for.

“Mr. Corbyn called me over during Christmas day and said a constituent wanted to put her newborn up for adoption.” Theresa continued, “According to him, pro-life sidewalk counselors got her to consider that instead of aborting the baby. While I was thankful to finally have the opportunity to adopt a child coming from such circumstances, I didn’t expect it to come that quickly. That was just a couple of months after I promised Mr. Corbyn and the United Kingdom that I would grab such opportunity if it was given to me.”

“Prime Minister, I’m just concerned,” Sophie said, “Are you sure you did not adopt Hilda to make a political statement?” Sophie knew that adopting children for that reason wasn’t exactly a good reason – it’s how people like Madonna and Angelina Jolie got scrutinized for adopting African children after coming to an African nation for outreach. Or how Jessa Seewald and her husband considered wanting to adopt a child in Central America after going on a mission trip there.

“Of course not!” Theresa quickly said, “Sure, the reasons may seem political but Philip and I have been wanting a child of our own for decades. Even through adoption. It’s just that prior to last year, we never found the chance and the time to do so – due to the fact that he and I were so invested in getting up the career ladder even before the years following the diagnosis of my infertility.”

“It’s such a shame that work-life balance never existed in your day.” Justin commented, “Sophie and I, now, we come from a different generation from yours. We’re from a generation that gave birth to work-life balance and that’s how we managed to have three children even as we tried to nurture our own careers.”

“You two are fortunate in that case.” Philip said, “Theresa and I are thankful that she became Prime Minister because that somehow opened the door to parenthood for us. Hilda really means a lot to us and we do love her so dearly – whether her mum would still remain Prime Minister or not.” Because surely, only God knows whether Theresa was going to stand for re-election as Prime Minister in the General Elections of 2020.

* * *

**_7 Rideau Gate - Ottawa, Canada_ **

As guests of the Prime Minister, Theresa and Philip May stayed at the 7 Rideau Gate, the guest house for distinguished visitors. This was the first time they were billeted at a guest house for a state visit. The US State Visit? She preferred to stay at a hotel.

Theresa sometimes felt that Justin must have gone to great lengths just to ensure that she was going to stay in the guest house and not in some five star hotel elsewhere in Ottawa. Possibly to show Donald Trump that the special relationship between Canada and the UK will always be stronger, for as long as Canada remains in the Commonwealth.

Honestly, she finds that idea endearing. Justin Trudeau being overly protective of her – politically and perhaps, personally. She noticed that he might exhibit such tendency because of how he got out of the way to invite her over to dinner earlier. Because of that time he personally visited her at the House of Commons gallery after Question Period.

And of course, because he keeps blushing like an idiot every time he comes across her.

As to whether she reciprocates his efforts, even so slightly? Only the trade deals and the press conference they’d have on the last day _might_ tell.

“Listen here little lass,” Philip said as he held Hilda close to his chest while he sat up against the headboard of the bed, “Your mummy and I love you _so much_ , no matter what Mr. Trudeau and his wife assume. Even when your mummy is no longer Prime Minister, we will still love you so much.”

Then Hilda simply giggled, not having a clue to what his father is alluding to. Then again, she’s only a baby – but it was important to let her feel that she’ll be loved even when she grows older and no matter what happens to the career of her mother.

“Oh Hilda sweetie, mummy will never abandon you!” Theresa said, kissing Hilda on both of her cheeks afterwards. Appreciating her mother’s affection, Hilda wrapped her little arms around her mother’s neck. Theresa knew what this meant – Hilda wanted her mummy to cuddle her.

And cuddle her, she did.

Then Theresa’s phone, that rested on top of the side table rang.

“Philip dear, will you get that for me.” And Philip, being the dutiful husband that he is, reached out for the side table for his wife’s phone as his wife settled beside him, with Hilda in her arms, “Oh, and put it on loudspeaker. My hands are full!” she added, referring to the fact that Hilda wouldn’t be leaving her arms anytime soon.

“Thanks a lot Prime Minister! I was stuck with this Labour lass at a police station for what, almost the entire day!” An angry Ruth Davidson said on the other line, “I told you I was willing to pay for the damages but why must you insist that I be investigated. Can’t you just investigate the Labour lass and let me pay for damages.” She added, referring to Liz Kendall as the Labour lass.

“Oh Ruthy.” Theresa said in a somewhat endearing tone, “How many times have I told you that _you destroyed government property in a government property_. Of course an investigation is in line.”

“Oh yeah, because you were once Home Secretary.” Ruth said, “Of course that’s your first reaction to this incident – _oh great, let’s have them investigated by the police_! Well you better be proud of me, I cooperated in the investigation. Meanwhile, that Liz Kendall lass is trying so hard to screw up the investigation.”

“What do you mean Liz Kendall is trying to screw up the investigation?”

“Every time I explain to the police the details of the tank race, she keeps interrupting. She keeps making it look like I am the only person responsible for this mess – when she’s also played a part.”

“Look Ruthy, they’ve finished interrogating you. You admitted that you had fault. That’s my only concern. As for Liz Kendall, let Jeremy Corbyn worry about her, eh?”

“Right, Prime Minister.” Ruth replied, “Oh, by the way. How is Canada? Has the Prime Minister flirted at you yet?”

“You bet! He blushes like an idiot in my presence. Philip feels appalled.” Theresa spoke, “Don’t you, Philip?”

“Oh, that bloke will never learn – my wife only likes conservatives.” Philip said, “Conservatives named Philip May.” Oh, he was being cheeky alright. Being the proud husband that he is!

“And I believe you brought Hilda along?”

“Oh yes, my wee lass is here.” Theresa replied, “Will you say hi to Auntie Ruthy, Hilda.” And all Hilda did was babble, as usual. Nevertheless, Ruth knew the baby was acknowledging her presence on the other line.

“Did Mr. Trudeau’s children get along with her well?” Ruth asked, attempting to turn the conversation into a light-hearted one.

“Oh, they surely did.” She’d remembered what happened earlier, whenever she tried to take a peek of the living room from time to time, she saw how the Trudeau children fondly treated Hilda.

“I shouldn’t be holding you up any longer,” Ruth said, “But you’d probably head to bed soon and I’ve still got some unfinished business. Goodbye then?”

“Goodbye Ruth.”

Then the call ended and it was just the three of them again in the master’s bedroom of 7 Rideau Gate. Philip endearingly looked at his wife, who was dressed in a satin nightgown. There she was, trying to cuddle their daughter to sleep. Theresa caught his eye – and looked at him, the investment banker, her dear husband, clad in an old shirt and his pyjamas. A knowing smirk formed on her lips, one that said “admit it sweetie, you find me gorgeous.”

And that was their first night in Canada. Though the air from the fall was chilly, the lovely couple found warmth amongst each other – and gave warmth to the little lass that made their bond stronger.

 


	15. A visit to Gatineau Park

Philip was at bliss in his sleep until he felt nibbling from both sides of his cheeks. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was met by the glare of the Canadian Fall sunlight. As his vision cleared a bit – but not absolutely clear (as he would still need to put his glasses on to see things absolutely clearly) – he saw his daughter and his wife on the corner of his eyes.

Turning his head to the left, he has established that his daughter has nibbled his left cheek. Turning to the right, his wife did the exact same thing.

“Why are you two eating daddy’s cheeks?” He asked in a groggy yet cheeky tone as he reached out for his glasses from the side table.

“Why, we were just trying to wake you up!” Theresa said as her fingers ran through her husband’s hair

Automatically, Philip pulled Theresa and Hilda close to him by putting each of his hand behind their backs, “This is such an amazing way to wake up, eh?” he said, “Me, with my girls!”

Hilda continued to suckle on her father’s cheeks as Theresa gave Philip a good morning kiss, “I hope you slept well, dear.” She told him. The night before, Hilda had been waking up in odd times and at one point, she needed a diaper change. Owning up to the fact that they were such busy parents, Hilda’s sleeping pattern hasn’t really settled.

“How could I not?” Philip asked. Yes, he did wake up several times to look after the baby when she would wake up – but it was all worth it, “As long as you two are with me, I will always be sleeping well!”

Theresa then rolled over so that she was now sitting on top of her husband and she placed her hands on his chest and gave him that sultry glare, “The right honourable lady says that you owe her a good morning kiss.” And Philip knew what exactly she meant and adjusted himself so that now, he was sitting on the bed as well, his back against the headboard.

Philip did what was expected of him and wrapped his arms around her neck, engulfing her in a deep and passionate kiss. Soon, Philip’s hand found its way on her back. As the kiss grew deeper, he held her tighter.

They were so passionately into it that they haven’t realized that Hilda tried to wiggle herself in between them. Being the wee baby that she is, Hilda started to tug on her mother’s nightgown, hoping to get her attention. When she realized that didn’t work, she tried to tug her father’s shirt this time. Still, her parents weren’t paying attention to her. This time, she tried to bite her father’s hand that was still on her mother’s shoulder.

Which led to Philip wincing in pain because for a ten month old, Hilda’s bites can be quite painful. Owning to the fact that she’s got a few teeth already. All Hilda did was flash a grin on her father when he had finished wincing in pain. Hilda’s job was done. She was able to get one of her parents’ attention.

“Oh, you naughty little lass!” Theresa said as she softly poked Hilda by the nose, “You couldn’t wait until your daddy was done giving me a good morning kiss, couldn’t you?” and all Hilda did was giggle because she’s just such a cheeky baby.

“T-That was very painful!” Philip said as he rubbed on his hand that Hilda bit, “Come here, lassie!” Philip then lifted Hilda up so that he could give her a kiss on the cheek. He then passed her over to her mother who did the same thing.

“Happy now?” Theresa asks Hilda. To which, Hilda giggled contentedly – because that’s what babies want, attention from their parents.

* * *

After being told about his staffers about how the Mays loved to go walking, Justin Trudeau had this marvelous idea of taking them to Gatineau Park. Yes, the same park where he emerged from a cave topless. Not that he’s planning to emerge from a cave topless in front of a visiting Head of Government.

“And here’s a fun fact,” Justin said as he guided the Mays into the park – with his wife and children in tow, “This was where I emerged topless from a cave.” He added as he pointed out to that very cave where he emerged without a shirt on.

“Shush now Justin! There’s no need to tell them about that!” Sophie said, “I apologize for my husband. It’s just that he doesn’t get visitors from foreign countries often.” She added, giggling.

“Sophie, can’t I have a little fun?” Justin asked, pulling a pouty face on his wife

“You are the Prime Minister of Canada, not a teenage boy!” Sophie replied, leading to Justin pouting even more.

Because Justin was somehow rebellious anyway, he did take the Mays into that cave. The Mays just followed and marveled on the cave. This was completely nothing like the hiking trips they’d take and it was what made it even more exciting.

“Mama, we should really show them the stream in here!” Ella-Grace suggested to her mother, “You know, the one where papa took a dip before he emerged from the cave without a shirt on?”

“Of course sweetie!” Sophie said as she got Justin’s attention by tapping on Justin’s shoulder, “ _Mon amour_ , show our guests that stream.” And she flashed Justin a knowing grin which led to Justin looking so excited.

As instructed by his wife, Justin led his guests to that stream and as if by instinct, Justin suddenly took off his shirt and threw it aside before taking a dip on the stream. Sophie was pretty gobsmacked at this point – what possessed his husband into going shirtless in front of a visiting Prime Minister and his family?

“Does he always take his shirt off in random places?” Philip asked Sophie as the two observed Justin enjoying the stream.

“Not always.” Sophie replied, “But when he does take his shirt off in random places, he becomes a sensation – a social media hit!”

“Sophie, don’t even give my husband an idea to turn up shirtless in random places!” Theresa scoffed – but it was too late, it appeared that her husband is trying to follow Justin’s lead when he had started to unbutton his top.

“Just this once dear? Please?” Philip said, his beady eyes fixed on his wife’s as he continued to unbutton his top.

“Fine.” Theresa said, her voice sounding defeated – and with that, Philip was happily on his way, taking off his top and throwing it on the ground before running to the stream to join Justin.

When Justin and Philip were finally done taking a dip on the stream, they all decided to emerge from the cave and of course – a déjà vu moment took place. A group of tourists just sighted Justin Trudeau topless and decided to ask a selfie from him. Justin gladly obliged which made the tourists even more excited.

“Sophie, do you mind taking a picture of us?” Theresa said as she handed her phone to Sophie, before tapping her husband on the shoulder. Sophie gladly obliged as well, asking them if they were ready for the picture.

At this point, Philip was still topless, with his top tied to his waist. For some reason, he forgot to put his top back on but Theresa wasn’t going to waste her time to tell him to put his top back. Oddly, she prefers him topless at this point.

Philip then took Hilda from her mother’s arms and perched her on top of his shoulders. Then, Theresa wrapped her arm around Philip’s waist and proceeded to kiss him for the picture. Sophie could not help but giggle at the sight of it.

* * *

A day later, when the Mays had returned to the United Kingdom – Justin Trudeau’s new topless selfie became viral, but not for the reason expected.

“British Prime Minister and family photobombs a selfie with the Canadian Prime Minister.” One of the headlines read. Another said, “PM May & Husband photobomb a selfie of Justin Trudeau and his fan.”

It turned out, on the selfies that were uploaded, Theresa, Philip and Hilda posing for a picture taken by Sophie was visible on the back. Apparently, Sophie forgot to tell them to move over so that they wouldn’t get in the way of those selfies her husband was taking.

Or maybe she didn’t tell them to move out of the way on purpose so that people will have other things to talk about for a change other than her husband emerging from caves topless.


	16. A day of Milestones

Little footsteps made their way to the hallway of 10 Downing Street. As civil servants traversed through these hallways, the owner of these little footsteps is trying to keep up with them - her father following not far behind. Sometimes, this owner of the little footsteps falls but she would try to get up again with a happy grin on her face. This went on for a few more times until she and her father have reached their destination.

The door to the Prime Minister's office.

"Come on sweetie, show mummy what you can do." Her father said as he opened the door to the office. It was three in the afternoon and the occupant of the said office was still very much in there, engaged with her work.

The Prime Minister was as usual, busy poring over paperwork. It was now December but the government doesn't really get Christmas breaks so here she was, with her bevy of civil servants, working on important papers, as the rest of the United Kingdom prepare for the Christmas holidays.

Nevertheless, Hilda started walking into the office anyway, occasionally falling every few steps or so but never giving up. She's just learned how to walk recently and she seems to be enjoying it. Realizing that she is now closer to her mother, her pace went faster as if she were running and it didn’t take long for the Prime Minister to notice her daughter walking towards her. Theresa could not help but smile as she watched Hilda take her first steps. Her Yorkshire Pudding surely was growing fast. Almost a year ago, she was just a wee baby and now here she was, walking for the first time.

“Oh my goodness sweetie! You’re walking!” Theresa said in awe as she watched Hilda make those small yet quick strides. Hilda was walking much faster at this point, as if excited by her mother’s own excitement, “Yes come to mummy! Come on you beautiful lass, you can make it!” and by this point, Theresa stood up from her seat and squatted so that she could catch Hilda.

A few more steps and the Prime Minister’s Yorkshire Pudding landed safely in her mother’s arms just as Philip entered the room saying, “I wanted to surprise her mummy.” This led to Theresa crying tears of joy from the fact that her baby is growing fast. Looking up to her husband, she said, “This is the best surprise, darling!”

* * *

It was ten more days before Hilda was officially a year older and gifts for her have started arriving to 10 Downing Street. Some came from supporters of the Prime Minister, one came from the former Prime Minister David Cameron. There was another gift box that arrived, coming from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Not to mention, the media had started to go on a countdown as well – knowing that the birthday of the Prime Minister’s daughter was a big deal for two things – because she is the Prime Minister’s daughter and because she was born on Christmas day.

People also took the opportunity to congratulate the Prime Minister over her daughter’s milestone of turning a year old. They were joined by celebrities, with Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman in particular offering to send her some Doctor Who merchandise as a Christmas present. 

* * *

By Christmas Eve, more gifts have arrived for Hilda – one coming from the Prime Minister of Canada (who happened to share the same birthday as the wee lass), one coming from the First Minister of Scotland and a sack of gifts coming from her cabinet ministers.

At this point, Theresa and Philip were hauling the gifts back and forth into their car. They’d have to bring them all back to Maidenhead along with their own gifts. It was Christmas tradition for them to return to their constituency home on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day there. This would also be the first time that Hilda would get to stay in their constituency home as she had spent her first months of life in 10 Downing Street.

While they hauled the gifts, Hilda followed around, trying to keep her pace with her parents. Being a person who is only walking for the first few times, she isn’t quite fast at keeping up her pace with the older people. Theresa’s advisers, Fiona and Timothy, watched from the door – both in awe at the fact that the wee Hilda that they once saw was not so little anymore.

“Which reminds me, the Prime Minister and her husband are set to appear in court March of next year to make this adoption official.” Nick said to Fiona

“Ms. Rudd should really see this. She would be damn proud of the efforts she took so that the Prime Minister’s adoption process of this lass would be sped up.” Fiona spoke as she faced Nick, in reference to the fact that Philip literally had to talk Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, into finding a way for him and his wife to speed up Hilda’s adoption process – given that Jasmin Alvarez was certainly ready for it to begin.


	17. Three Hundred and Sixty Five Days

When Christmas day had arrived, Philip was up early like a little boy who was excited to open his Christmas presents. Happily, he woke Theresa and Hilda up as well – and by the looks of it, it was as if he was more excited to open the gifts than they did.

“It’s five in the morning dear, can’t you give me another hour?” A groggy Theresa said as she tried to reach for a sleeping Hilda beside her, “Besides, the Christmas day service isn’t until nine.”

“Can’t I be excited for my daughter’s birthday, Prime Minister?” an excited Philip fired back

Then it hit Theresa, it was their daughter’s birthday, of course she and her husband would have every reason to make Christmas day extra special. She then woke Hilda up by planting a kiss on her cheeks – quickly enough, the little lass slowly opened her eyes and yawned.

“Happy Birthday, sweetie!” Theresa said as she brushed her fingers on Hilda’s dirty blonde hair. At this point, Hilda was now smiling.

Without any further ado, she slowly got up from the bed and carried Hilda with one arm while using the other to softly drag her husband from the bed. In a few moments, they moved down to the living room where a rather large Christmas tree stood, wrapped in Christmas lights with ornaments dating from decades back hanging on it.

Below the tree were an array of Christmas presents coming in different sizes and shapes. Some were for her, some were for her husband but most were for Hilda – whose first birthday led to many people mailing their gifts into 10 Downing Street for her.

Theresa knelt down by the Christmas tree to retrieve the first present for Hilda. This gift was wrapped in a shiny red wrapper and accentuated by a green ribbon, “Come on Hilda, why don’t you open it?” Philip asked Hilda.

Hilda tugged onto the bow of the gift and then Theresa helped her open the present. With the wrapper and ribbon out of the way, she opened the box to reveal a leopard print dress inside and she could not help but laugh. _Who in the world would think of giving my daughter a gift like that anyway?_ , she thought.

“It’s from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.” Philip said as he read from the gift card belonging to the present that was just opened

“Is this some kind of a gag gift?” Theresa asked as she held up the dress, “But Justin, being Justin, would definitely send people hilarious gifts.” Oh, she remembered what the Canadian Prime Minister sent her on her birthday – leopard print winter boots of all things.

“Mama!” Hilda said as she tried to reach for the dress, “Mine!” she added as she gripped on the dress

“Oh look, she’s said her first words!” Philip said proudly

“Do you want to put it on, sweetie?” and Hilda nodded at her mother with that cheerful grin. 

A few moments later, Hilda was now wearing the leopard print dress and Philip could not help but laugh at the fact that Hilda took Justin Trudeau’s gag gift seriously.

Hilda spun around in her brand new leopard print dress – like anyone would do if you gave them a brand new dress to wear. Philip took her hand and held her as she continued to spin around. This left Theresa teary-eyed as before her eyes, her daughter was happily spinning in her brand new dress; Moreover, it’s been a year since she and her husband decided to be loving parents to the loveable lass.

* * *

Christmas Day has gone terrifically well for the Mays. A church service in the morning followed by their tradition of spending Christmas Lunch with the old people in Theresa’s constituency. Theresa and Philip could not help but feel proud whenever the old people over that lunch complimented how cute Hilda is.

“You’ve got a gorgeous little lass there, Prime Minister!” An old woman said, “God Bless her!”

“She’s gorgeous, just like her mummy!” An old man added as Theresa (with Hilda on her arms) passed through

The press were there too, especially the reporter sent over by the Maidenhead Advertiser. For most of the time, they were trying to get pictures of Hilda. The next best thing to ever happen after Will and Kate’s babies.

“You know, if we did an opinion poll right now asking people whether they prefer Hilda or Princess Charlotte,” A journalist from the Daily Mail told the journalist from the Maidenhead Advertiser, “They would surely pick Hilda. She’s just that adorable!”

“Not even Leo Blair could rival whoever the royal baby is that was close to his age!” The journalist from the Maidenhead Advertiser said.

After the Christmas Lunch, Theresa and Philip finally got around to celebrating Hilda’s first birthday. Theresa, being the culinary goddess that she is, decided that she’d rather bake her daughter a cake instead of getting one from the nearest Waitrose.

And of course, she couldn’t forget to give Hilda her first bite of pasta.

“Darling, put my phone on loudspeaker, will you?” The Prime Minister of Canada was on the line and she needed to receive his call while preparing the pasta. Philip obliged and put Theresa’s phone on loudspeaker.

“So, how did Hilda like the dress?” Justin Trudeau asked from the other line

“Very funny, Mr. Trudeau.” Theresa said as she stirred the boiling pasta, “The leopard print dress was quite an excellent gag gift. You really are just like your father, such a mischievous man.”

“Don’t blame me!” Sophie said from the background, “Justin saw that dress while we shopped clothes for Hadrien and he figured out that he should send it over to you as a joke.”

“Well, looks like my daughter took your joke seriously, Mr. Trudeau.” Theresa said as she looked back to see Hilda still amused by her new dress, “It seems that she doesn’t want to take the dress off anymore.”

“Mummy, I’m pretty!” Hilda shouted from down the hall

“I knew your daughter would love the dress!” Justin said from the other line

* * *

A gluten free Chocolate cake was the centerpiece of the table. A lit candle was put on top of it. Theresa, Philip and Hilda gathered around the cake.

“Happy Birthday, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison as they planted a kiss on Hilda’s cheeks

“Now make a wish and blow your candle!” Philip said as he moved the cake closer to Hilda

Theresa then helped Hilda blow the candle and with the flame gone, Philip softly smashed Hilda’s face towards the cake, being the cheeky man that he is. This made Theresa a bit concerned, not until Hilda brought her head up, only to smash her own head again to the cake, before scarfing down the cake.

This made Theresa and Philip laugh. Moreover, they found themselves tearing up because they realized that it’s been a year since they welcomed Hilda in their lives. They could not wait to see what the next years will be for their family.


	18. Boxing Day 2017

Fiona Hill was scrolling over her Twitter feed to keep an eye out of any news concerning her boss. This one news caught her eye, it was from The Daily Mail who managed to snap photos of her boss and her family on Christmas day.

When she opened the article, the first picture that came up was a picture of Theresa and Philip visiting elderly constituents for lunch – and there was Hilda on Theresa’s hands, wearing a leopard print dress. This left Fiona gobsmacked because she couldn’t remember Hilda ever owning a leopard print dress – and she was very certain that she didn’t give Hilda a leopard print dress for a birthday present.

“It must be a dress gifted to her as a joke.” Fiona thought. She then sent the article’s link over to her boss. She surely should see the first photos that the paps took of her daughter. Then again, she doesn’t care much about the paps as they do not chase her like crazy (like when they chase Kate Middleton).

Theresa and Philip sat against the headboard of their bed with Hilda snuggling against her mother’s chest, when Theresa’s phone vibrated, containing a message from one of her special advisers, Fiona. The message read:

_Prime Minister, looks like the paps got pictures of your daughter in the leopard print dress_

And attached with the message was a link to the article from The Daily Mail which featured pictures of Hilda in the leopard print dress from when her parents brought her for the annual Christmas lunch with the elderly in Maidenhead.

“My, doesn’t our pretty baby look gorgeous!” Philip said as he peered at his wife’s phone

“Don’t be ridiculous Philip!” Theresa said, “Now they think we dressed up our daughter like that as a joke!”

“Well, it may be a joke but we weren’t the ones who made such joke.” Philip explained, “They have to give credit to the Prime Minister of Canada for sending that dress over.”

“If you look at it in another perspective, Hilda here is going to grow up a brilliant stunner like her mummy,” Theresa said as she moved Hilda closer to her head, “Won’t you?” she asked her. The thing is, Hilda has always been the brilliant stunner like her mummy.

After the General Election of 2017 re-elected Theresa, photos of her with Philip and Hilda posing outside 10 Downing Street (as it is customary for the new Prime Minister to do with their family) were in every newspaper. Everyone was talking about the new Prime Minister but they were also talking about how Hilda pulled off the Tory blue dress – to the point that she was now receiving the same attention usually given to Princess Charlotte.

Hilda looked up at her mother with her ever-beady brown eyes, offering a cheeky grin. Theresa could not help but smile back – remembering the sentimental feelings she had when Hilda turned one the day before. Theresa survived a terrorist attack, a general election and the process to adopt Hilda. None of those came easy for her or for Philip.

For the second time that day, Theresa’s phone vibrated. It was a text message from an old friend of hers – a former colleague of hers during her days as a cabinet minister, Theresa Villers.

_Do you happen to be free for some afternoon tea?_

_-Theresa Villiers_

* * *

**_Waterloo, London_ **

“Has it been more than a year since we last met?” Villiers said after sipping her cup of tea. Sitting before her was the Prime Minister of the UK and her daughter. The Prime Minister and Villiers first crossed paths when they were both appointed as shadow cabinet ministers back when the Conservative Party was still in opposition.

Teresa had decided to ask the Prime Minister out for afternoon tea because she was out of her home for that day to take advantage of the Boxing Day sales. At one point, she’d need to take a break and she used that as an opportunity to try to reel in the Prime Minister.

And that explains why when Theresa and Hilda arrived to meet her, her table was surrounded by shopping bags of different sizes.

“Indeed, more than a year has passed.” Theresa said as she took a sip of her own tea. Hilda sat on her lap and seemed to be listening on to what her mother and this other woman were talking about. Villiers was the less popular Theresa, and also the younger one.

When the 2017 General Elections took place, she threw her hat into the electoral race, still running as a Tory MP under her constituency. She did win - but she did not return to being a cabinet minister.

“Honestly, I’m still overwhelmed over winning a seat in Parliament again.” Villiers said, “I bet my opponents are so jealous of me right now.” And that led to both the Prime Minister and the cabinet minister turned backbench MP in a laughing fit.

As the two women continued to talk, Hilda got off her mother’s lap and climbed up onto Villiers' – after which, she simply leaned against her and tried to use her as a pillow – which worked effectively because now, she is out like a light.

“Well, looks like someone thinks that you'd make a good pillow!” Theresa told Villiers.

“I’m not surprised.” Villiers said with a smirk, “It happens a lot when I look after my children, and my nephews and nieces.” Now, Hilda was peacefully snuggling against Villiers. Theresa thought of picking Hilda up so that Villiers wouldn’t feel more weight on her but she changed her mind and let Hilda be.

But hey, it was going to be an interesting conversation starter for Hilda – about the one time she dozed off as a toddler on her mother's former colleague.


	19. Easter at the Kensington Palace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda goes on an Easter egg hunt at the Kensington Palace where she meets the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s an Easter-themed chapter in celebration of Easter Sunday. I hope you’ll all like this one. Happy Easter everybody!

An Easter reception is being held at the Kensington Palace. This was an initiative jointly made by the Prince Harry of Wales and Meghan Markle, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The reception was a combination of afternoon tea and an Easter Egg Hunt, as both pair of royals have young children.

“This is the Kensington Palace,” Philip said, “Home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry of Wales, the Duke of Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Eugenie.”

Hilda looked at the Kensington Palace for the first time in awe. The young lass has spent her time growing up seeing castles and palaces. Aside from seeing palaces and castles on state visits that her mother takes her and her father to, her parents take her to see some castles and palaces around the country during the holidays.

“Come along Hilda!” Theresa told the young lass, “We are meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Miss Markle!”

“Are we meeting Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis?” Hilda asked excitedly. She has heard of the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but she has yet to meet them.

“Of course, sweetie!” Philip told her, “You are going on an Easter Egg Hunt with them!”

* * *

When the Mays walked into the Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exchanged greetings with them. They had decided to invite the Prime Minister and her family over, knowing that they have a child who would surely enjoy the activities of that afternoon.

After exchanging greetings with the royals, the Mays were then accompanied by a staffer of the palace to the palace gardens, where the other guests and their children were waiting for the egg hunt to start. Once they were settled, four children ran towards their direction.

“George! Wait up!” Princess Charlotte said as she and her younger brother, Prince Louis tried to catch up with him as they ran towards Hilda and her parents.

“Oh look darling, it’s the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Miss Markle!” Theresa said to Philip as she spotted the four children run towards their direction.

As the four children came to a complete stop, George said as he reached his hand out, “Hi, I’m George!”

Hilda smiled and shook George’s hand, “I’m Hilda.”

“I’m Charlotte!” Princess Charlotte piped up, “And this is my brother, Louis.” She added as she pointed out to her younger brother, Prince Louis, who stood beside her.

“Hello George!” Theresa told Prince George, “You’ve grown so much already!” she added. It only seemed like yesterday when the Prince was just an infant, and she was still Home Secretary back then.

“Hello Prime Minister!” Prince George said with a toothy smile and a wave

"Hello Charlotte!" Theresa said to Princess Charlotte, "You've grown so much as well!" she added.

"Hello Prime Minister!" Princess Charlotte said, pulling an adorable face afterwards, "Am I adorable?"

"Of course you are!" Theresa told the Princess, "You are all adorable!" she added, referring to the four royal children that stood before her

“Our dear Hilda has been excited to meet you four!” Philip said to the four royal children

“Good afternoon everyone!” The voice belonging to the Duchess of Cambridge said, “I hope you are all enjoying this afternoon. Our Easter Egg hunt is about to start soon so we would like to request for all the children to assemble over here.” The Duchess of Cambridge added.

Right then and there, the royal children, and Hilda, took off, with Theresa and Philip following them.

* * *

The children ran all over the place as they tried to locate the hidden Easter eggs around the Kensington Gardens. Hilda reached into every bush she passed by in hopes of finding an Easter egg to add to her basket. Reaching into another bush, she pulled out an Easter egg with a rabbit’s face painted on it, and she placed it into her basket. Her four Easter eggs in the basket have become five.

On the bush next to where Hilda got her fifth egg, Prince George and Prince Louis were also looking for more Easter eggs to add to their basket. Then suddenly, Princess Charlotte piped up, “I found an egg!”.

Hilda, Prince George and Prince Louis saw the Princess run towards them as she waved a pink egg with white polka dots with her left hand, and her egg basket on her right hand. Princess Melissa ran behind her, also with a blue and silver egg on her left hand, and her egg basket on the right.

The royal children and Hilda then gathered to compare the number of eggs they have collected. Hilda had collected five eggs, while Prince George also collected five eggs. Princess Charlotte had seven eggs while Prince Louis had two.

“I have the most eggs!” Princess Charlotte said

“The hunt isn’t finished yet.” Prince George replied

“Let’s find some more!” Hilda spoke excitedly

Then, the four children took off and joined the rest of the children in the egg hunt in order to find more eggs. The next few minutes was spent by the children finding more Easter eggs around the garden. They were told at the beginning that the child who gets the most number of Easter eggs will receive a special prize.

* * *

At the end of the egg hunt, all the children lined up so that the eggs inside their baskets could be counted by the hosts of the event.

“Hello there Elle!” Meghan, Prince Harry's fiancé said as she received the basket of a little girl, “Let me count the number of eggs that you’ve got, okay?”

The little girl named Elle nodded as Meghan counted the girl’s eggs. Meanwhile, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge was counting the number of eggs that another little girl on her queue received.

“Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, and twenty!” Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge said, putting the basket aside on the long table afterwards, “You’ve got twenty eggs, Caroline!”

The little girl named Caroline clapped as the Duchess of Cambridge told her how many eggs she collected from the Easter egg hunt.

“Hello Hilda!” The Duchess of Clarence said as Hilda stepped forward with her basket to have her eggs counted, “My, you’ve collected a lot of eggs! Let’s see how many eggs you’ve picked up, okay?”

Hilda nodded as Meghan started to count the number of eggs she collected. Hilda waited patiently for The Duchess of Clarence to finish counting the eggs. She was excited to find out how many eggs she had collected.

“That’s twenty-seven eggs, Hilda!” Meghan said with a smile on her face, “Great job!”

“Thank you!” Hilda said as she flashed a toothy smile to The Duchess of Clarence, before skipping off back to her parents.

On another queue was the Prince Harry, the Duke of Clarence, who was counting the number of eggs that his nephew, Prince George, collected.

“Well George, you’ve collected thirty eggs!” Prince Harry said with a smile, “That’s quite a lot there, young lad.”

“Hey, I have thirty-five!” Princess Charlotte said from the other queue where Meghan, the Duchess of Clarence was counting the eggs she collected, “Beat that George!”

“Our children are getting quite competitive, aren’t they?” Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge commented to her husband, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge.

“Sibling rivalry, at its finest!” Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge said.

After the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finished counting the eggs, they announced the winner of the egg hunt.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! We are more than glad to announce the winner of this year’s Easter egg hunt!” Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge said.

“This lucky child collected forty Easter eggs!” Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge announced

“Mallory Andrews, congratulations!” Prince Harry of Wales announced, “Please step forward to claim your prize!”

The girl who won the Easter egg hunt then stepped forward with her parents and claimed the prize from Meghan. The prize was none other than an Easter bunny inside a big basket. Mallory watched in awe as she received the Easter bunny from the future royal.

* * *

“I don’t mind that we didn’t win the prize.” Prince George told Hilda as he, his siblings and his cousin walked along with her to the Kensington Palace.

“Why?” Hilda asked curiously

“Because I already have pet hamsters!” Prince George said happily, “Would you like to see them?”

“Yes!” Hilda told Prince George, “I want to see your pet hamsters!”

“The hamsters are so cute!” Princess Charlotte piped up

The children then made it towards the bedroom of Prince George where a big hamster cage stood on the floor, beside his drawer. Inside the cage were four hamsters who were doing all sorts of things like running on a hamster wheel, crawling into plastic tubes and gnawing on their food.

Prince George then picked up a fluffy brown hamster from the cage and started to ruffle the hamster’s fur, “This is Marvin, he is my first hamster.”

Hilda then reached out to brush the hamster’s fur with her hand, as she looked at it adorably. The hamster seemed to behave while she was brushing its fur. Most of the time, it tries to bite the hands of strangers, but not Hilda’s.

“And this is Gus!” Princess Charlotte said as she took another hamster, with white fur, from the cage, “He’s quite shy.”

“And that’s Pepper!” Prince George said as he pointed out to a Champagne-colored hamster inside the cage, “and Hamoine!” he added as he pointed to a Chocolate-colored hamster inside the cage.

For the rest of the afternoon, the children spent time playing with Prince George’s pet hamsters.

* * *

“Mummy, I would like a pet hamster.” Hilda told her mother as the Mays were being driven back to 10 Downing Street

“Sweetie, we already have Larry.” Theresa told her daughter

“And besides, cats love rodents.” Philip added, “Larry would just cause trouble to a hamster.”

Hilda pouted in response. She found Prince George’s hamsters really adorable and she really wanted to have one of those.

“Say, would you like a puppy instead?” Philip asked her daughter, which earned a nod of approval from her.

“We’ll get a puppy soon, sweetie.” Theresa said to Hilda as she brushed her hair with her hand, “For now, Larry will do.”


	20. A Story on Debating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May and Malcolm Turnbull have a meeting at 10 Downing Street during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and Theresa and Philip tell Hilda the story of the time they debated against him at Oxford.

_April 19, 2018 – 10 Downing Street Gardens_

“Prime Minister May, I can assure you that I, and the rest of Australia has your country’s full backing in supporting Prince Charles as Her Majesty’s successor as leader of the Commonwealth.” Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime Minister of Australia stated, “I am confident that he will continue the good work that his mother has started for the Commonwealth.”

It was the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 and part of the activities for some Heads of Government in the Commonwealth was a meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as the United Kingdom is the host country of that year’s meeting.

“Prime Minister Turnbull, the United Kingdom is thankful for the support that you and your country has offered for Prince Charles succeeding Her Majesty, the Queen as the leader of the Commonwealth.” Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom said, “It is very important for the United Kingdom to hear what other members of the Commonwealth have to say about Prince Charles becoming the next leader of the Commonwealth.”

Just as Theresa wrapped up her meeting with the Australian Prime Minister, a young girl ran towards where she and the Australian Prime Minister were seated. The father of the young girl followed in tow.

“Hilda insisted that we go here!” Philip said as he caught up with his and the British Prime Minister’s daughter, “Hilda, please slow down!” he added.

Instead, Hilda ran faster towards her mother.

“Philip May, it’s been thirty-nine years!” Malcolm called out

“Thirty-nine years since Theresa and I beat you at a debate.” Philip said in a tone that can be considered mic-drop worthy

“Mummy, who is that man?” Hilda asked as she pointed out to Malcolm

“He is Malcolm Turnbull.” Theresa told Hilda, “And he is the Prime Minister of Australia.”

“He is like you, a Prime Minister!” Hilda quipped

“Yes sweetie, he is a Prime Minister like mummy.” Theresa replied

“But unlike your mummy, he is not a good debater.” Philip said with a chuckle as Malcolm shot a glare at him

“Hilda sweetie, would you like to hear the story of how your daddy and I beat Prime Minister Turnbull at a debate?” Theresa asked Hilda

“Mummy, what is a debate?” Hilda asked

“A debate is when you argue with somebody over a given issue in a formal matter.” Theresa explained, “Your daddy and I debated with Prime Minister Turnbull about the advance of professionalism in sport.”

* * *

_June 21, 1979 – Lincoln College, Oxford University_

_It was the farewell debate of the Oxford Union Society and Theresa Brasier and Philip May were up against Malcolm Turnbull and the special guest of that debate, Bobby Charlton. Bobby Charlton was a professional football player who played for Manchester United and Team England, while Malcolm Turnbull was a Civil Law student in Brasenose College who hailed from Australia._

_The topic of the debate was on welcoming the advance of professionalism in sport. Malcolm was assigned to propose the topic while Theresa was assigned to oppose it, with Bobby speaking third and Philip speaking fourth._

_“We believe that the advance of professionalism in sport should be welcomed. This is to give professional athletes the opportunity to further their career as athletes and benefit from it. It is a well-known fact that only major sports leagues offer opportunities for professional athletes.” Malcolm said, “Minor sports leagues on the other hand, do not provide the same opportunities for those who want to go professional, but do not have the resources to get into a major sports league.”_

_Malcolm then took a seat after making his opening statement. Now, it was Theresa’s turn to make the opening statement for the opposing side. Philip whispered good luck to Theresa before she stood up. Before the debate started, Theresa and Philip prayed that they would do well in this debate._

_“We believe that the advance of professionalism in sport has already taken place. No doubt, major sports leagues already accept professional athletes, whatever their class and background may be. We have already come a long way from when professionalism in sport first took place.” Theresa said, “What needs to be done now is for the progress of the advancement of professionalism in sport to be sustained. Sustaining the progress of the advancement of professionalism means we need to see major sports leagues continue to accept more professional athletes, rather than leaving professional athletes to struggle in minor sports leagues, whose resources for supporting professional athletes are lacking, because major sports leagues have imposed a limit on professional athletes despite the vast resources they have to support them.”_

_After Theresa finished her opening statement, she took her seat and she and Philip exchanged smiles. After which, Philip whispered to her that she did well, and Theresa whispered thank you to him. They then turned their attention to Bobby Charlton who stood up to present further arguments for his side._

_“The advance of professionalism will greatly benefit professional athletes, both in major and minor sports leagues. As a professional athlete, I would like to see more professional athletes in the minor sports leagues receive support, and in turn, have fulfilling careers.” Bobby said, “Professional athletes in minor sports leagues are just as hard working as those like myself who play for a major sports league. They deserve just as much recognition as their major league counterparts. We should break the notion that a professional athlete only deserves success if he or she is playing for a major league.”_

_Malcolm gave Bobby two thumbs up after he had finished giving his supporting arguments. Now, it was Philip’s turn to deliver the supporting arguments for the opposing side. Theresa whispered him a good luck before he stood up, and then Philip whispered thank you to her._

_“Maintaining the progress that has already been set for the advance of professionalism in sport means that major sports leagues have to accept more professional athletes. For instance, in football, major sports leagues here in England have already accepted professional athletes, not just within England but even outside of England.” Philip said, “On the other hand, the Scottish Football Association still forbids professional athletes from participating. This has led to Scottish professional football players having to migrate to England in order to pursue their careers, when they should be able to get the same opportunity at home if the Scottish Football Association had been open to professional athletes.”_

_After Philip delivered his supporting arguments, he took his seat and he and Theresa exchanged smiles. Then, Theresa also told him that he did well, and then Philip whispered thank you to her as well. A recess was then called so that both sides could have time to prepare their rebuttals._

-

“Your daddy and I spent a lot of time researching for this debate.” Theresa told Hilda, “We went to the library to read up on the history of professionalism in sport, we read the sports sections of every newspaper we could come across with, and we even spoke to some professional athletes.”

“This debate was one of the things that brought your mummy and I closer to each other.” Philip told Hilda

“Mummy, what else happened?” Hilda asked

“Well sweetie, there was the rebuttals.” Theresa told Hilda, “It is when you try to defend your arguments without adding any new information.”

“That was the best part!” Philip told Hilda

“Your father is right.” Malcolm said, “That was the part where Bobby and I were able to go full force with the argument that we were proposing.”

“Except that entire time, you were being pompous!” Theresa told Malcolm, which led to Philip chuckling, “It wasn’t helping that Bobby’s rebuttals were not well-formed!”

“Well excuse me, I wasn’t being pompous.” Malcolm replied, “I was just giving out my very best for the rebuttals.”

“Daddy, what is pompous?” Hilda asked Philip this time

“It’s when you think you are better or more important than others.” Philip told Hilda, “Like what Prime Minister Turnbull did during the debate, and like what he is doing right now.” This resulted to Hilda giggling at Malcolm.

* * *

_This was the moment that she and Philip had been waiting for – the opportunity to cement her side’s victory at this debate._

_“The proposing team mentioned that minor sports leagues do not offer the same opportunities that major sports leagues give to professional athletes. They are right, for major sports leagues have already paved the way for the advance of professionalism in sport. The advance of professionalism in sport has come a long way since it first began.” Theresa said, “When back then, major leagues would only accept people coming from certain classes and backgrounds, now, major leagues accept people coming from various classes and backgrounds. That has to be maintained, for it is still benefiting many professional athletes, both experienced and novice.”_

_When Theresa finished delivering his rebuttal, Malcolm then stood up and gave his side’s rebuttal._

_“I have with me an athlete, and both of us agree that major sports leagues should not be the only ones who can unlock the potential of a professional athlete!” Malcolm said, “Leaving the unlocking of a professional athlete’s potential to a major sports league would be unfair to those who do not have access to major sports leagues! Not all professional athletes come from a privileged background, you know!”_

_Theresa and Philip could have rolled their eyes there, except that it is frowned upon to do that during debates when your opponent is speaking. They found Malcolm’s style of rebutting pompous, as if he has forgotten that debates are supposed to be formal, and his pompousness just made it look informal. Then, Philip gave his rebuttal._

_“Major sports leagues being open to professional athletes of varying classes and backgrounds is already enough. Especially considering that minor sports leagues would not be able to do the same as they do not have the resources to unlock the potential of professional athletes.” Philip said, “In fact, it is thanks to major sports leagues being open to professional athletes of varying classes and backgrounds, and having the resources to support these athletes, that professionalism in sports has advanced.”_

_Then it was Bobby’s turn to give another rebuttal for his side, “Must major sports leagues be the only ones to be able to develop a professional athlete’s career? I’ll tell you what, minor sports leagues can play a role too. Major sports leagues being open to professional athletes of varying classes and backgrounds is just not enough!”_

_Theresa and Philip seemed unimpressed by the way Bobby rebutted. It seemed to them that he was not even trying to make a proper rebuttal. They could not expect much from him, of course, since he never had a solid background in debating to begin with. They could not help but feel bad that he had to be paired with someone like Malcolm Turnbull has resorted to saving his arguments with pompousness._

_Once the rebuttals finished, it was now time for the closing statements to be given. This was the icing on top of the cake for Theresa and Philip’s oncoming victory._

_“The question of whether it is time for us to welcome the advance of professionalism in sport need not to be asked for it has already been answered. One just needs to look at the state of our major sports leagues today, where people of various classes and backgrounds are given the opportunity to develop their careers as professional athletes.” Theresa said, “The practice of major sports leagues accepting athletes from various classes and backgrounds needs to be continued so that the advance of professionalism in sport remains.”_

_Malcolm then gave his closing statement, and at this point, Theresa and Philip were confident that they would be the winners of the debate._

_“The advance of professionalism in sport should definitely be welcomed! It is about time that minor sports leagues are given the resources to support professional athletes in the same way that major sports leagues would be able to do so,” Malcolm said, “Only when minor sports leagues are included in the picture that the advance of professionalism in sport truly starts.”_

* * *

“There were eighty people who were watching us debate,” Theresa told Hilda, who was now in awe, “and fifty-eight out of the eighty people in there sided with your daddy and I.”

“They were convinced that your mummy and I had strong arguments,” Philip told Hilda, “Especially after Prime Minister Turnbull delivered a rather half-baked closing statement.”

“Hey, that was not half-baked!” Malcolm protested, “It was short because it was pretty obvious that my argument was already strong.”

“Your side was only supported by twenty-two people.” Theresa said, “I think that already says enough about who really won!”

“Mummy is right, she and daddy are the winners.” Hilda piped up

“Hilda is right, Malcolm.” Philip told Malcolm, who responded with a pout. Meanwhile, Hilda just giggled at Malcolm who was already pouting.

“Well, it is already time for me to go.” Malcolm told Hilda after looking at his watch, “Your mummy still has an important meeting with Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand.” He added.

“Goodbye Prime Minister Turnbull.” Theresa told Malcolm, “It was nice for us to have a productive meeting, and for us to catch up as well!”

“Goodbye Prime Minister May.” Malcolm told Theresa, “and Philip and Hilda. I hope to be back here soon, this time with my grandchildren. Maybe we could get the children to learn the basics of debating.”

“We’re counting on it!” Philip and Theresa said with a laugh. The image of Prime Minister Turnbull’s grandchildren and Hilda learning debate basics from them and Malcolm was an adorable one. Who knows, they might also end up becoming skilled debaters.

* * *

_One year later_

"Mummy, will you and daddy get to beat Prime Minister Turnbull at a debate again?" Hilda asked her mother.

"If he challenges us to a debate." Theresa told her daughter, "Then we'll gladly show him that we're still skilled at debating."

"Is he going to give us a kangaroo if you and daddy win?" Hilda asked, leading to Theresa bursting into laughter.

"No sweetie." Theresa told Hilda, "And besides, kangaroos aren't supposed to be kept as pets."

"Will he give us a toy kangaroo instead?" Hilda asked.

"Maybe he would." Theresa told her daughter.


	21. People Need Love

Philip is cooking some mushroom risotto. He wanted to surprise Theresa, who is currently having a meeting with her cabinet regarding the United Kingdom’s activities after Brexit. Hilda, on the other hand, is seated by the dining table, busy with her colouring book.

“People need hope, people need lovin', people need trust from a fellow man, people need love to make a good livin', people need faith in a helping hand.” Philip sang as he stirred the pot containing the sauce for the mushroom risotto, “Man has always wanted a woman by his side, to keep him company, Women always knew that it takes a man to get matrimony and harmony.”

“Daddy, how long do we have to wait for mummy?” Hilda asked as she coloured a page in her colouring book

Philip then stopped singing to answer Hilda’s question, “We still have an hour until your mummy comes back from the meeting.”

The past few months have been hectic for Theresa since the United Kingdom is fresh from leaving the European Union. The past few months were spent with the government devising plans in order to strengthen the British economy and provide international aid to developing nations.

There were also the negotiations with Scotland and Northern Ireland. Scotland is trying to stage another independence referendum, while Northern Ireland has concerns with the soft border that they share with the Republic of Ireland.

Lastly, the past few months was also spent with the government strengthening the United Kingdom’s relationship with the Commonwealth nations, as the United Kingdom needs them more than ever since it left the European Union.

“Everybody knows that a man who's feeling down wants some female sympathy, gotta have love to carry on living, gotta have love 'til eternity.” Philip sang further as he checked to see if the mushroom risotto is almost done cooking.

“Is the risotto done now, daddy?” Hilda asked

“It’s almost done, sweetie.” Philip answered as he put back the cover of the saucepan containing the mushroom risotto. Philip then proceeded to test the taste of the sauce for the mushroom risotto, saying “Delicious! Your mummy is going to love this!”

“Mummy is gonna be happy!” Hilda quipped as she finished coloring a page.

“Yes sweetie, she will be happy!” Philip told Hilda, “She will be happy with the pasta that I made, and that picture that you just finished coloring!”

“Philip, Hilda, I’m home!” A voice said coming from outside the kitchen. Theresa had already arrived from her cabinet meeting, which had finished an hour earlier than expected.

“Mummy!” Hilda shouted as she got down from her chair. She then ran towards her mother who had just entered the kitchen.

Theresa then lifted Hilda from the ground and proceeded to give her a hug, “Mummy misses you so much!”

“I miss you too!” Hilda answered as she hugged her mother back

“Hey, how about me?” Philip asked as he playfully made a pouting face.

“Of course I missed you too!” Theresa said as she walked closer to where Philip stood with Hilda on her arms.

Philip smiled at Theresa’s response and proceeded to ask her, “Mind if I kiss my lovely wife?”

Theresa smiled back and told him, “The lovely wife says yes.”

Then Philip gave Theresa a peck on the lips which resulted to the both of them giggling. At the sight of her parents having an adorable moment, Hilda said “Aww!”

“Look, our baby finds us adorable!” Philip remarked

“Is that right sweetie, do you find us adorable?” Theresa asked Hilda

“Yes mummy, you and daddy are adorable!” Hilda said with a big grin on her face

“See, our baby does find us adorable!” Philip told Theresa

Theresa then took a look at the pot where the mushroom risotto was being boiled and noticed that the mushroom risotto has already been cooked to perfection, then she said, “Philip, the mushroom risotto already cooked.”

Promptly, Philip turned off the flame of the stove burner that was used for the saucepan containing the mushroom risotto. Then, he proceeded to pour the contents of saucepan to a big bowl. This was followed by Philip stirring the mushroom risotto before seasoning it with salt and pepper.  

Theresa then put Hilda down on a chair in the dining room and then she cleared the table. Then, Theresa spotted the page of the coloring book that Hilda had already finished coloring. It was a picture of a princess that she had finished coloring. The picture was coloured well, which impressed Theresa.

“Sweetie, you colour so well!” Theresa told Hilda

“Thank you mummy!” Hilda said with a toothy smile

“Mummy is going to put these away, alright?” Theresa asked Hilda as she took the colouring book and the crayons from the dining table.

“Alright, mummy!” Hilda answered

Theresa then put the colouring book and the crayons away at a small table just outside the kitchen. Then she returned to the kitchen to find that Philip had already set up the dining table, with the big bowl of mushroom risotto at the middle and a pitcher of water beside it. Each placemat had smaller bowls and a fork, as well as a glass.

Theresa and Philip joined Hilda at the dining table then Theresa asked, “Hilda, would you like to say grace?” and Hilda nodded yes.

“Bless, O Father, Thy gifts to our use and us to Thy service; for Christ’s sake. Amen.” Hilda said as her mum and dad prayed along with her.

The Mays then started to eat their lunch and Philip decided to break the silence by starting a conversation with his wife.

“Theresa darling, how was the meeting?” Philip asked with curiosity

“Philip, it went well.” Theresa said with a smile, “For one thing, we have decided to add more funding to our country’s participation at the Eurovision. We have been doing well in the past few years and we should continue to do so.”

“Well, that sounds really exciting!” Philip said, “Any chance that we can get Ed Sheeran to sign up for representing us at the Eurovision?”

“If Mr. Sheeran himself expresses interest, then the BBC can get him to do Eurovision.” Theresa answered, “I may be Prime Minister but someone’s decision to go to the Eurovision is not something that I should interfere with.”

“Mummy, what else happened?” Hilda asked with curiosity as well

“Well, we talked about sending more funds to developing countries.” Theresa answered, “So that more children in those countries can reach their dreams.”

“Why can’t they reach their dreams?” Hilda asked, shocked at the fact that there are children in some parts of the world who do not have the means to achieve their dreams.

“Well you see, things like poverty and war try to stop them from doing so.” Theresa explained, “But with our help, things like poverty and war in those parts of the world happen less, and more children can reach their dreams.”

Hilda seemed contented with the answer and went back to finishing her mushroom risotto. Philip and Theresa continued to talk as they ate lunch and after lunch was finished, Theresa, Philip and Hilda washed the plates and utensils together. After which, they headed on to the living room where Philip put on a historical drama on Netflix. They were watching the latest episode of The Crown.

The episode that they watched revolved around Queen Elizabeth II’s first royal audience with Prime Minister Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

“One would like to congratulate you for becoming the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.” Queen Elizabeth II, who was played by Olivia Coleman said.

“Your Majesty, I am honored to become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” Margaret Thatcher, who was played by Meryl Streep said, “and I am much honored to become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during your reign.”

“I always remember how Lady Thatcher was so fond of the Queen!” Philip commented, “She has looked up to Her Majesty to the point that when Her Majesty was crowned, she managed to write an article praising her.”

“I could still remember the day when Lady Thatcher became Prime Minister.” Theresa said, “It was a beautiful sight – the first female Prime Minister taking office during the reign of a Queen.”

“Indeed, we are privileged to have witnessed such historic event!” Philip remarked

“Mummy, why were there no female Prime Ministers before Lady Thatcher?” Hilda asked Theresa

“Well you see sweetie, people back then thought that women could not lead, despite the fact that we’ve already had a Queen before Her Majesty.” Theresa explained, “Then a lot of people, like Emmeline Pankhurst, Her Majesty and Lady Thatcher changed everything, and now, there are female leaders all over the world.”

“Mummy, when you met the Queen, was it like what happened in the telly?” Hilda said as she pointed to the television, that was now showing a scene of Margaret Thatcher discussing to the Queen about the reforms that she will bring to Britain.

“Well yes, sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda, “The Queen and I were talking about important things like reforms. Her Majesty needs to know these things since she has to act on the advice of the government, which represents the British people. The Queen makes sure that the interests of the British people are respected in the process.”

“That my dear, is what makes us a constitutional monarchy.” Philip explained to Hilda, “In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch decides on things, but he or she must make sure that the British people’s interests are considered."

“We became a constitutional monarchy after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.” Theresa told Hilda, “Laws such as the Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 made it so.”

“Wow, so that’s how our monarchy works!” Hilda said in awe

“Yes sweetie, that’s how our monarchy works.” Theresa replied

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Theresa, Philip and Hilda watching historical dramas and documentaries after they had finished watching the latest episode of The Crown.


	22. A Friday Afternoon of Conversations

“Alright sweetie, daddy is going to knock on the door to your mummy’s office.” Philip told Hilda as he prepared to knock the door to Theresa’s office with his left hand, “You hold on to the basket full of scones, alright!” he added as he handed the basket of scones that was on his right hand.

Hilda nodded and received the basket of scones from her father, holding on it with both of her hands. Philip then knocked the door to Theresa’s office thrice. Amber Rudd, the Deputy Prime Minister answered the door.

“Hello there Philip, and Hilda!” Amber said as she opened the door, “What brings you two here?”

“These scones are for mummy!” Hilda said as she brought up the basket of scones for Amber to see better

“That’s right.” Philip told Amber, “Hilda and I decided to bring something special for Theresa.”

“We’ve just finished our meeting!” Amber said, ““Well, let’s get you two inside, shall we?” she added as she led Philip and Hilda into Theresa’s office.

* * *

“This is delicious!” Theresa said as she took a bite from a scone after putting some jam on it

“Only the best scones for my dearest wife and the mother of our daughter!” Philip told Theresa, “I used your mother’s recipe to make those scones. I hope you liked it!”

“Liked it?” Theresa spoke, “I love it! Philip, you’ve baked amazing scones. Mum would be so proud of you if she were alive today! This tastes exactly like the scones she made!”

“Theresa is right, these are really good scones!” Amber said as she took a bite from her scone.

“Mummy, this is so yummy!” Hilda exclaimed as she took a few more bites from her scone.

“I’m happy that the three of you love the scones that I baked.” Philip told Theresa, Hilda and Amber

“You know, Philip should do the catering next time we have a cabinet meeting.” Amber suggested

“I’m not exactly the best cook around.” Philip said, “I do need to improve my cooking skills before I can think about doing catering on the side when I’m not occupied with my job as a banker.”

“Philip has been busy learning some new recipes lately.” Theresa told Amber, “Sometimes, I even come home from work to find that he has cooked dinner for us.”

“He makes yummy mushroom risotto!” Hilda exclaimed

“Yes, that’s his signature dish!” Theresa said, “And it is the best mushroom risotto that I have ever had!”

“Nothing but the best for my girls, of course!” Philip said with a smile.

“You’re really blessed to have such a supportive family!” Amber told Theresa

“A strong and stable family leads to a strong and stable nation, after all!” Theresa said with a smile. Her family is always behind her back, especially during the times when she makes major decisions as Prime Minister.

Larry, the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office then made his entrance into Theresa’s office. This led to Hilda standing up and scooping the cat into her arms as soon as it went near the table where she, her parents, and the Deputy Prime Minister have seated.

“Hello Larry!” Hilda said as she ruffled the cat’s fur, “What brings you here?”

The cat then meowed.

“Mummy, I think he wants a scone!” Hilda told Theresa

Theresa then took a scone from the basket and fed it to Larry, who seemed to find the baked treat delicious.

The cat meowed once again after nibbling on the scone.

“He says the scone is yummy!” Hilda remarked

Then the cat went back to nibbling the scone before he meowed yet again.

“And he says thank you, too!” Hilda said

“Philip, the cat likes your scones!” Theresa told Philip, who then stood up and went near Larry

“Is that true, do you like the scones?” Philip asked the cat, who responded to him with a meow

“Well, that’s a meow of approval there.” Amber said

After Larry had finished nibbling on the scone that Theresa fed him, Hilda set him down on the floor and then Larry proceeded to curl up afterwards. Theresa, Philip and Hilda then went back to their respective seats.

“So Theresa, how are you doing today?” Philip asked Theresa

“A bit hectic but manageable, overall.” Theresa answered, “Amber and I were able to get around to discussing most of the things in our agenda today.”

“I’m glad that your day is going well!” Philip said. Hearing positive news from his wife always lifted his spirits.

“And how about you and Hilda? How are you two doing today?” Theresa asked Philip, and Hilda as well

“I taught Hilda how to play Monopoly.” Philip said as he tried to stop himself from laughing

“I won!!!” Hilda said in a victorious tone

“She is a fast learner, Theresa, I swear!” Philip told Theresa, who was amused at the fact that her husband had decided to teach their daughter how to play Monopoly, “After explaining to her the rules of the game, she got the hang of it easily and five minutes into the game, she has already amassed a lot of Monopoly cash!”

“Well, she did learn to play the board game from an investment banker!” Theresa quipped, “That’s why she got a hang of the game easily!”

Amber laughed at what Theresa told her husband when he told her about Hilda being a fast learner at the game of Monopoly. Amber always enjoyed these moments when Theresa would talk about her family life. The previous chat that she and Theresa had after a meeting, Theresa had told her about how Hilda wanted a hamster after seeing the hamsters of the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in person after joining an Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Clarence.

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda decided to take a trip down to Islington before going back to Maidenhead. The Leader of the Opposition had asked them to come over to his house so that he could give them some of the produce from his allotment. His allotment had yielded a lot of produce so he had to ask his colleagues in the Parliament if they’d like to have some of the produce.

Theresa then knocked on the front door of the Leader of the Opposition’s house. This was the first time that she and her family had been here. A few minutes later, the Leader of the Opposition himself answered the door and greeted his guests.

“Prime Minister, how nice of you and your family to come over!” Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition told Theresa and her family, “Come in! I can’t wait to give you the produce from my allotment!”

Jeremy then led Theresa and her family into the living room of his home. Just then, Laura Alvarez, his spouse, emerged from the kitchen with the basket containing the produce for the Prime Minister and her family.

“Hello Prime Minister! Hello Mr. May and Hilda!” Laura said as she set down the basket of produce on the center table of the living room, “I hope the three of you like these.” She added, referring to the basket of produce containing raspberries that she just set down on the center table of the living room.

“These are definitely just what we need!” Theresa told Laura, who was delighted at her response.

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then took a seat on the couch of the living room as Jeremy and Laura did the same.

“How is Hilda doing, Prime Minister?” Jeremy asked Theresa. Hilda was after all, his biological granddaughter, and despite the fact that his niece had given her up for adoption three years ago, he and his spouse really did care about how the girl was doing with her adoptive family.

“Hilda is doing well as always!” Theresa responded, “In fact, her father had taught her how to play Monopoly today and…”

“…I won, Uncle Jelly!!!” Hilda exclaimed as she raised both of her arms up in the air

“Apart from that, she has been interested in history lately.” Theresa stated, “You see, we would watch historical documentaries and dramas, and visit historical sites as well.”

“My favorite is the Kensington Palace!” Hilda told Jeremy, “It’s where George, Charlotte, Louis and Melissa live!” she added, referring to the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, whom she has started a friendship with

“Has she been hanging out with the royal children?” Laura asked curiously

“Well, they have met once during the Easter Egg Hunt at the Kensington Palace’s gardens.” Theresa explained, “And the children invited her over to play with them after the egg hunt.”

“George has pet hamsters!” Hilda told Laura with excitement, “I asked mummy and daddy if I could have one but they said that I can’t because we already have Larry and Larry would just cause trouble to a hamster because it’s a rodent.”

“Your parents are right, _hija_.” Laura said to Hilda, “Larry is a cat after all, and cats and rodents like hamsters do not really get along.” Laura knew that by experience because she has seen El Gato chase the rats out of the house multiple times.

“I’m okay with having Larry as our pet for now, Aunt Laura!” Hilda told Laura with a big smile, “He’s very adorable and cuddly, just like George’s pet hamsters, except he’s way bigger!”

“I’m glad to hear that Hilda loves cats!” Jeremy remarked. One of the things that he had hoped for, after all, was that his granddaughter would share his love for cats.

“Hilda loves dogs as well!” Philip said, “In fact, Theresa and I have been thinking of getting her a pet dog soon.”

“There’s a pet shelter here in my constituency.” Jeremy said, “You might consider wanting to take a look around for a dog for Hilda.”

“We’ll let you know when we’re going to drop by that pet shelter to find Hilda a dog.” Theresa responded, “For now…”

“…Larry will do!” Hilda said with glee, much to the laughter of her mother and father.

El Gato then walked into the living room and jumped straight up to Laura’s lap. Hilda then walked to where Laura was seated to have a better look at the cat. “This is El Gato.” Laura said, “He’s part of our family.”

“Wow!” Hilda said with awe, “He looks so adorable!”

“Indeed, he’s adorable!” Jeremy said, “Would you like to hold him?”

“Yes please!” Hilda said.

Laura slowly handed El Gato over to Hilda, then she helped Hilda in holding El Gato in her arms. Luckily, El Gato did not squirm out of Hilda’s arms, which was a good sign. Hilda then cooed at the cat and ruffled its fur before returning him to Laura, who was now the one holding the cat in her arms as Hilda returned to where she was seated.

“About these raspberries,” Jeremy spoke, “A fun fact! We use these raspberries from my allotment to make jam.”

“How do you make jam?” Hilda asked curiously. She knew that jam is made in a factory and shipped off to the supermarket before it reaches the cupboards at home, but she did not know how jam was made.

“That’s a good question!” Jeremy said, delighted that Hilda has also taken interest in jam making (or perhaps, she was merely curious about how jam is made), “The first thing you do is to wash the raspberries, then you simmer them in a shallow pan of water until it is tender. Then you add in some sugar and stir until it dissolves and bring it to the boil for ten minutes. When that’s all done, you spoon the jam into a jar and then seal it.”

“Awesome!” Hilda remarked, then she said, “Mummy, daddy, can we make our own raspberry jam too?”

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa said as she ruffled her daughter’s hair, “We’ll make some raspberry jam tomorrow morning, how does that sound?”

“Sounds exciting!” Hilda replied. One of the things that excites her is when she gets to cook some food with her mother and father. Previously, they’ve cooked some pancakes for breakfast, then they’ve also baked some carrot cupcakes one weekend.

“That would be a great way for us to bond on a Saturday morning!” Theresa said with glee

“We really hope the jam we’ll be making turns out well!” Philip added

“I’m sure it will.” Laura replied, “After all, Jeremy and I take good care of our crops and we only use organic fertilizer for it.”

“and because we do take good care of our crops, the produce that comes out of it are definitely delicious and nutritious!” Jeremy added

After that, the Mays said their goodbyes to Jeremy and Laura and then they made their way back to Maidenhead with their raspberries. They are surely going to have an amazing weekend ahead, especially now that they will try making some homemade jam!


	23. Homemade Jam and Kite Flying

“Mummy! Daddy! Wake up!!! We’ve gotta make some raspberry jam!!!”

Theresa and Philip were awoken by the sound of their daughter being excited about making homemade raspberry jam. The day before, the Mays dropped by Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez’s home in Islington to pick up the raspberries that they have given them, and they had decided to make jam out of the raspberries.

The Prime Minister and her husband slowly sat up on the bed to join their daughter who was already wide awake and sitting on the bed between the both of them. The excitement on Hilda’s face was very evident, and Theresa figured that she has been grinning out of excitement since waking up.

“Good morning sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda as she tucked some of the young girl’s hair behind her ears

“Good morning mummy!” Hilda said as she hugged her mother

“Good morning love!” Philip told Theresa, giving her a peck on the lips afterwards

“Good morning to you as well, love.” Theresa told Philip, giving him a peck on the lips as well

“And good morning to you, sweetie!” Philip told Hilda

“Good morning daddy!” Hilda said as she hugged her father

“Now, let’s get up!” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, “We’ve got some breakfast to take and some raspberry jam to make!”

* * *

After Theresa, Philip and Hilda made the bed, the three proceeded to the kitchen to prepare their breakfast. Theresa and Philip mainly did the cooking and the setting of the table, with Hilda helping around when necessary. The result of the cooking that Theresa and Philip did (with the help of Hilda) were pancakes, hashed browns, fried eggs and bacon.

Breakfast was then followed by washing up the dishes, and after which, the moment that Hilda’s been waiting for has arrived – making the raspberry jam!

Philip then helped Hilda up on a small stool chair so that she could reach the kitchen counter. Then, Theresa laid the ingredients for the jam on top of the kitchen counter – two cups of raspberries (which have already been washed), a cup of cold water and a 3 ounce package of sugar-free raspberry flavored gelatin. Three jars, which will serve as containers for the jam once it has been made, were also placed on the kitchen counter

Theresa then put the two cups of raspberries on a saucepan, after which she said, “Now, the first thing that we’ve got to do according to this recipe is to crush these raspberries.”

“Here’s a potato masher that we can use to crush the raspberries!” Philip said as he picked the potato masher up from the kitchen drawer

“Excellent!” Theresa remarked, “Now, we can start crushing the raspberries!”

Philip then helped Hilda crush the raspberries on the saucepan with the potato masher. It was only the first part of the process of making jam but Hilda was already enjoying it, which delighted Theresa and Philip. They were happy to know that they’re raising a daughter who shares their love for cooking.

“The next thing we’ve got to do is to add the cold water and the gelatin.” Philip said, reading aloud from the recipe.

Hilda then took the cup of cold water and poured it into the saucepan and said, “I’ve added the water!”

“Very good!” Philip said, clapping afterwards.

Theresa then added the gelatin into the saucepan and after which, she said, “Now that we’re done crushing the raspberries and adding cold water and gelatin into the mix, the next thing we’ve got to do is to boil the mixture.”

The next thing that Theresa did was to move the saucepan on top of the stove, where she started boiling the mixture over medium heat. Philip, with Hilda now on his arms, watched intently as Theresa stirred the mixture. Theresa then reduced the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for two minutes.

When the mixture was finished boiling, Theresa moved the saucepan back to the kitchen counter with oven mittens and then Philip took a ladle from the kitchen drawer and handed it over to her. “Now, we’re going to put the jam into the jars.” Theresa said, “We’ll have to be very careful since the jam is still hot.”

Philip then removed the lid of the first jar and then Theresa helped Hilda fill that jar with the freshly boiled jam. Then, Philip set aside the first jar which was now filled with jam. The same process was repeated for the second and third jars of jam. The jars of jam were then left to cool for a few minutes, after which, the jars were covered with their lids and then stored inside the refrigerator.

“Did you enjoy making the jam?” Theresa asked Hilda

“I did!” Hilda said with a big grin, “We should do that again!”

“Of course, sweetie. We’ll make more homemade jam soon!” Theresa told Hilda

* * *

That afternoon, Theresa and Hilda were at the living room, where Theresa was braiding her daughter’s hair, when Philip entered the living room carrying a blue single line kite.

“Love, I’ve found the kite that we used when we went kite-flying back in Oxford!” Philip told Theresa with excitement as he walked in front of her and their daughter

“That’s great!” Theresa said with awe as she saw the kite that she and her husband used to fly when they were still in Oxford, still being in good condition despite the fact that it had been decades since the last time that they’ve gone kite flying using that kite, “I’m delighted to see that the kite is still in good condition even though we haven’t gone kite flying with that kite for decades!”

“Honestly, I thought that we would never get to go kite flying with this kite again!” Philip remarked

“Mummy, daddy, can you teach me how to fly a kite?” Hilda asked. She had seen people fly kites at a park in London, but she has never flown a kite herself.

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa said, “Daddy and I will teach you how to fly this kite.”

“In fact, your mummy and I can teach you how to fly this kite right now!” Philip said, “After all, this afternoon’s weather is perfect for kite flying.”

“Let’s head out to the backyard now, shall we?” Theresa said as she reached out both of her hands for her daughter and her husband to hold on to.

The three then walked out to the backyard hand in hand and when they got there, Philip and Theresa started teaching Hilda the basics of flying a kite. Theresa and Philip helped Hilda hold the kite by the bridle and when the kite finally caught wind, they let go of the bridle and then held on to the line of the kite which they pulled in order to keep the kite airborne.

“You know what’s amazing?” Philip mused as he watched Hilda pay close attention to the kite, “The fact that this day would come that we would be able to teach our child how to fly that kite.” He added, pointing out to the airborne blue kite.

“I never thought that this day would come that we would be able to teach our child how to fly that very same kite that we flew decades ago.” Theresa remarked, “It was really a good idea for us to keep the kite as a keepsake of our days at Oxford as we were able to teach our nephews and nieces how to fly that kite after we married, and now, we’re teaching our own child how to fly that kite!”

“Mummy! Daddy! This is fun!” Hilda said as she continued to observe the kite that she and her parents were flying.

“You know Hilda,” Philip told Hilda, “When your mummy and I were dating, we would fly that kite every Saturday afternoon, especially when the weather is this good.”

“And kite flying is one of the many things that brought your daddy and I closer while we were dating.” Theresa told Hilda, “Along with cricket and debating, of course!”

“And now, kite flying is bringing us closer as a family.” Philip added

* * *

After flying the kite, the Mays decided to sit on the garden swing at the backyard where they decided to spend the rest of the afternoon having conversations and telling stories to each other. Theresa and Philip had purchased that garden swing when Hilda arrived in their lives, as they figured out that it would be a good addition to the backyard for times like this.

“You know, we should really go kite flying more often.” Theresa told Philip, “Perhaps we can do it in London next time.”

“We could go fly the kite at the Kensington Gardens!” Philip suggested

“Kensington Gardens! That’s near where George, Charlotte, Louis and Melissa live!” Hilda said, “Mummy, daddy, can we ask them to fly kites with us?”

“I think that can be arranged.” Theresa remarked, “Your daddy and I will ask their parents if we can invite them to go kite flying with us.”

“Yay!!!” Hilda said with glee. She is excited to see Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Princess Melissa once again.

The Mays had a wonderful Saturday, from making homemade jam in the morning, to flying a kite in the afternoon – and now, a playdate has been planned for Hilda when the family goes kite flying next time in London.


	24. Mother's Day 2019

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Philip and Hilda surprise Theresa on Mother’s Day with a breakfast that includes the homemade jam they made.

Theresa May woke up to a surprise from her husband and daughter – the surprise was breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day. The breakfast that Hilda and Philip fixed for Theresa consisted of gluten-free waffles topped with the raspberry jam that they made the day before and sunny side-up eggs on the side. The breakfast was served with English breakfast tea. Philip and Hilda also brought their own servings of the food that they served Theresa, and for their drinks, Philip had the same drink as his wife while Hilda had some orange juice.

“This is delicious!” Theresa remarked as she took a bite of the waffle, “Thank you so much for fixing this up for breakfast, you two!”

“You’re welcome dear!” Philip said, “Anything for my lovely wife and the mother of our daughter!”

“We love you, mummy!” Hilda told her mother, “Happy Mother’s Day!”

“Thank you, sweetie!” Theresa said, ruffling Hilda’s hair and kissing her forehead afterwards

“You know, making the jam yesterday was a wonderful decision.” Philip said as he took a bite from his waffle, “It goes really well with the waffles!”

“I agree, our homemade raspberry jam goes well with the waffles!” Theresa commented as she took another bite of the waffle.

“At this rate, we can give Jeremy Corbyn a run for his money in the homemade jam department.” Philip said, laughing heartily afterwards. What Jeremy Corbyn did not realize was that by suggesting to the Prime Minister and her wife that they make jam out of the raspberries he and his wife gave them, he already has competition in the Parliament when it comes to jam making.

“Perhaps we should ask my colleagues at the Parliament to rate our jam and the jam that Jeremy and Laura make.” Theresa said with a hearty laugh as well.

“That would be another majority for the Conservatives, my dear.” Philip said, “After all, we’ve made sugar-free jam that _works for everyone_. When will Jeremy Corbyn ever?”

Theresa laughed once again at what Philip said and then she said, “Jeremy Corbyn makes jam _only for the few and not for the many._ ”

“Quite contradictory to what he and his party stands for, isn’t it?” Philip asked

“This is why I’m Prime Minister and he isn’t.” Theresa said in response, which led to her, Philip and Hilda bursting into laughter.

“Mummy, I’ve got one more surprise for you.” Hilda said as she reached into the drawer of the side table, “It’s a card for you!” she added as she handed over the Mother’s Day card that she made for her mother.

Theresa then received the Mother’s Day card that her daughter made. The card was white in color with flower stickers on the border and “Happy Mother’s Day” written at the center with a pink marker. When Theresa opened the card, this was the text written on the first half of the card with a pink marker as well:

_Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance._

_– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation)_

Then, on the second half of the card, this was the text that was written, also using a pink marker:

_Happy Mother’s Day to the best mummy in the world! I love you!_

_-Hilda_

Below the text that was written on the second half of the card was a drawing of Theresa with Philip and Hilda which was drawn with crayons. Theresa felt really touched by the card made by her daughter, and she could not help but ask, “Did you make this all on your own?”

Then Hilda told her, “I did, with some help from daddy.” Nevertheless, Theresa was still proud of her daughter for making a card that beautiful and she was fine with the fact that Hilda needed her father’s help in making the card, since after all, she is only learning how to write.

“It’s the thought that counts, sweetie.” Theresa assured Hilda, “Mummy is still proud of you for making this card even if you had some help from your daddy.”

“Hilda was really invested in making that card.” Philip mentioned, “In fact, she was the one who picked out that bible verse on the card!”

“Because you love me so much like what the bible verse says!” Hilda told Theresa with the biggest grin on her face

“Oh, Hilda sweetie, mummy loves you so much!” Theresa said as she wrapped Hilda in a hug, “And mummy will always love you!”

“I love you always too!” Hilda replied as she hugged her mother back

* * *

The church service has just ended and it was always tradition for the Mays to stick around to talk to fellow churchgoers after the service has ended. Since it was Mother’s Day, most of the conversations that they had with churchgoers involved Mother’s Day greetings and conversations about motherhood.

“Happy Mother’s Day, Mrs. May!” Mrs. Edwards, one of Theresa’s constituents said, “and May the Lord always bless you and your family!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Edwards!” Theresa answered, “Happy Mother’s Day and May the Lord bless you and your family always, as well!”

“Happy Mother’s Day, Mrs. Edwards!” Hilda told Mrs. Edwards

“Thank you, Hilda!” Mrs. Edwards told Hilda, “May the Lord Bless always bless you!”

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Edwards!” Hilda told Mrs. Edwards, “May the Lord Bless you too!”

“Mrs. Edwards, Happy Mother’s Day to you!” Philip told Mrs. Edwards

“Thank you, Mr. May!” Mrs. Edwards told Philip, “May the Lord always bless you and your family!”

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Edwards!” Philip replied, “and May the Lord always bless you and your family as well!”

“Hello Mrs. May!” Mrs. Morgan, another fellow churchgoer said, “Happy Mother’s Day!”

“Happy Mother’s Day to you, Mrs. Morgan!” Theresa told Mrs. Morgan in response

“Mrs. May, I really just admire the fact that you can manage being a mother while being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the same time!” Mrs. Morgan told Theresa, “Your dedication for your family and for the nation is really admirable!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Richards!” Theresa told Mrs. Morgan, “I also admire how you are able to manage being a mother while being a nurse at the same time!”

“I appreciate those remarks!” Mrs. Morgan said, “Not many people appreciate nurses these days and I’m glad to know that you are still among the good people in this world who appreciates the work that we do.”

“Mrs. Morgan, you are just as important as the Members of Parliament and the Prime Minister.” Theresa told Mrs. Morgan, “This nation cannot stand without people making sure that its people are in good health.”

“Hello there Hilda!” Mrs. Morgan said upon noticing Hilda who was standing next to her mother, “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine, Mrs. Morgan.” Hilda told Mrs. Morgan, “Happy Mother’s Day!” she added

“Thank you, Hilda, that is very kind of you!” Mrs. Morgan remarked

“Hi, I’m Zoe!” Zoe, Mrs. Morgan’s three year-old daughter said as she walked towards Hilda

“Hi Zoe!” Hilda replied, “I’m Hilda!” she added as she and Zoe shook hands

“Happy Mother’s Day, Mrs. May!” Zoe told Theresa after shaking hands with Hilda

“Thank you, Zoe!” Theresa told Zoe

“You’re welcome, Mrs. May!” Zoe said, skipping back to her mother’s side afterwards

“Mrs. May, we’ve got to go now.” Mrs. Morgan told Theresa, “We’re still going to pay a visit to mum at the nursing home. We hope to see you and your family again next Sunday!”

“We hope to see you and your family again next Sunday, as well!” Theresa told Mrs. Morgan, who then left the church grounds with her husband and daughter.

The Mays then went around to talk to more people and along the way, Hilda made some more friends among the children who went to church with their families on that day. Soon after, the May’s left the church grounds and went out for lunch, after which, they drove to Wheatley to pay a visit to the grave of Zaidee, Theresa’s mother.

* * *

The Mays entered the church grounds of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Wheatley. Hilda was carrying a basket of roses that was to be placed on her grandmother’s grave. Theresa was carrying the grave lantern that was to be placed on her mother’s grave while Philip carried the matches. When they arrived at the grave, Hilda put down the basket of roses by the grave of her grandmother while Theresa and Philip took charge of lighting the grave lantern.

After which, the Mays paid their respects to Zaidee by saying their prayers, which was followed by a few minutes of solemn silence. It had been thirty-seven years since Zaidee passed away and Theresa and Philip could not help but wonder how Zaidee would react after finding out that she now has a granddaughter.

“Mummy, is granny in heaven now?” Hilda asked Theresa

“Yes sweetie, granny is now in heaven.” Theresa told Hilda in a solemn voice, “But she is watching over us even if she is already in heaven.”

“Mummy, what was granny like?” Hilda asked Theresa. She had always wondered how her grandmother would have been like if she were still alive. She knows that grandmothers tell lots of stories and have lots of gifts for their grandchildren after Prince George, Prince Charlotte, and Prince Louis told her stories about their grandmother, the Queen.

“Well, your granny was a very kind and loving person.” Theresa told Hilda, “She always looks out for her loved ones, even when she does not feel well. Not to mention that she also makes the most delicious food!”

“What kind of food does granny cook?” Hilda asked out of curiosity

“A lot of food! Her scones are the best!” Theresa told Hilda

“Does granny braid your hair?” Hilda asked

“Granny braided my hair when I was your age.” Theresa said, “She also taught me how to braid hair for when I finally have my own children.”

“So that’s why you braid my hair well!” Hilda remarked

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda, “All thanks to your granny!”

“Does granny tell you stories too?” Hilda asked

“Yes, she does!” Theresa said, “In fact, your granny tells a lot of amazing stories! I’ve always loved them!”

“What were your favorite stories from her?” Hilda asked

“Your granny used to tell me the story of how your great great grandmother Amy would knit woolen squares and send them to children in Africa.” Theresa told Hilda. This story was one of the things that constantly inspired Theresa to continue with her good work of leading the British Government in helping children from underprivileged nations, “And she also told me the story of how your great great grandmother Violet would cheer up everybody around her!”

“Did granny teach you how to fly a kite?” Hilda asked

“Oh, she did!” Theresa told Hilda, “In fact, the kite that your granny, grandpa and I used to fly was made by your granny. She makes the best kites as well!”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Hilda said in awe

“I bet mummy would be happy to find out that Hilda has learned how to fly a kite.” Theresa mused

"I’m sure she will be proud of us and of Hilda.” Philip responded

The Mays stayed on for a few more minutes before they drove back home to Maidenhead. It was always a tradition for Theresa and Philip to visit Zaidee’s grave every Mother’s Day and since three years ago, they were now practicing the tradition with their daughter.

* * *

After passing by Waitrose to pick up a tub of Oppo Choco Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now seated on the couch in their living room. Each of them had a small bowl containing a serving of the ice cream that they bought in Waitrose earlier on. They were watching a Mother’s Day special on the telly as they ate their ice cream.

“This is such a wonderful Mother’s Day, isn’t it?” Theresa said

“It sure is!” Philip answered

“Getting to spend the day with you two is best Mother’s Day gift ever!” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, “I could not ask for more!”

“You’re the best mummy ever!” Hilda told Theresa

“And you are the best daughter ever!” Theresa told Hilda

Even though it has already been three years since she first became a mother, Theresa could not help but feel happy and grateful about the fact that she and her husband had finally been given the chance to raise a child – and getting to celebrate Mother’s Day as a mother makes Theresa even happier and more grateful for the gift that God has given her and her husband – the gift of parenthood.


	25. A Meeting, A Surprise and A Reunion

_Bute House, Edinburgh, Scotland_

“Prime Minister, a second independence referendum is imminent at this point.” Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland said with a steely voice, “The people of Scotland have determined that a second independence referendum is the best course for Scotland to remain in the EU, now that the United Kingdom has officially left the European Union.”

It has been a few months since Article 50 was officially triggered and as a result, the sentiment for Scottish independence has gone stronger than ever. Polls released after the United Kingdom officially left the EU suggested that more people in Scotland were likely to support a second independence referendum.

“The United Kingdom may have left the EU, but we have not left Europe.” Theresa May, the British Prime Minister said, “Which means that Scotland still has its place in Europe.” Theresa knew very well that Scotland’s place in Europe is something that is of concern for Nicola Sturgeon and the people of Scotland.

“But Prime Minister, thanks to Brexit, trade between Scotland and the EU nations has become more complicated!” Nicola argued, “Not to mention, the immigration process that Scottish citizens have to undergo when visiting the EU has become more complicated as well.”

“In case you have forgotten, the United Kingdom managed to negotiate with the EU for free trade between the UK and the EU to continue even after we have left the EU.” Theresa responded, “And the same goes for immigration policy!”

The United Kingdom managed to negotiate a deep and comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union which enabled it to gain more control over its affairs as a nation while being able to have close relations with the European Union at the same time.

* * *

“Tag, you’re it!” Hilda said as she tapped Andrew, Nicola Sturgeon’s son, on the shoulder. This had been the second time they’ve seen each other since his mother brought him along with her when she went to 10 Downing Street for a meeting.

Andrew turned around and chased Hilda down the hall as Hilda burst into laughter while running faster. The two children had been playing tag for the last thirty minutes when they decided that sitting on the chairs inside the First Minister’s office was boring.

“Wait up!” Andrew said as he tried to catch up with Hilda. Hilda only responded by continuing what she was doing, which was running away from him.

Soon after, Andrew picked up pace and continued to chase Hilda down the hall. Hilda on the other hand, dodged civil servants who were walking down the hall as she evaded Andrew. After a few moments, Andrew still could not catch Hilda, and thus, the chase continued.

Hilda then ran into the First Minister’s office where the meeting between her mother and Andrew’s mother had just finished. Andrew, who was running behind her, ended up stumbling into the office as Hilda, who was still standing, giggled at him.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Andrew said as he stood up from the ground

“Well, you were it and you didn’t get to catch me!” Hilda said with confidence as she crossed her arms, “So it’s still fair!”

“Looks like our children were playing a game of tag while we were having a meeting!” Nicola said as she walked towards Hilda and Andrew who were now making faces at each other.

“Now, how are you two doing?” Theresa asked Hilda and Andrew

“Mummy, we had fun playing tag!” Hilda said with joy on her face

“The game of tag was fun!” Andrew added, “And Hilda runs really fast!”

“That’s why he can’t catch me!” Hilda said with a giggle, sticking her tongue at Andrew afterwards.

“Oh, our children are surely having some friendly competition here!” Theresa told Nicola

“Mummy, can we invite Andrew over to London?” Hilda asked her mother, “Then he can play with more kids, like George, Charlotte, Louis and Melissa!” she added, referring to the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the child of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

“Looks like my daughter here is really in favor of Scotland staying in the United Kingdom.” Theresa quipped with a giggle, “You should really reconsider your plans for another independence referendum in Scotland.”

“If you think it’s that easy for you to change my mind on the independence referendum, I believe you’re wrong.” Nicola said with a chuckle, “I have always been for Scottish independence, even before the devolution happened.”

“However, you are not against the monarchy.” Theresa replied with a knowing smile on her face.

“I’m not quite sure about having my son socialize with the Queen’s great-grandchildren.” Nicola said. Despite not being against the Queen or the Monarchy, Nicola was not a big fan of the Monarchy either so the idea of his son socializing with the royal children was not really something she was keen of.

“Mummy will try to convince your Aunt Nicola to let Andrew hang out with you and the Queen’s great grandchildren.” Theresa said as she held her daughter’s hand.

The door to the First Minister’s office then opened up, with the secretary walking in and saying “Ruth Davidson wanted to see you.” to Nicola.

“Alright, let her in.” was Nicola’s response.

Ruth Davidson, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, then walked into the office with her five month-old daughter, Meredith, in her arms.

“Hello Ruth.” Nicola said with cordiality, “And hello there wee Meredith!” she added in a cute voice as she held the baby’s hand, leading to the baby giggling at her.

“Hello Nicola.” Ruth said as she adjusted her hold on her daughter, “I take it that you are still convincing the Prime Minister to let you have your independence referendum.”

“Well yes.” Nicola replied, “and she’s convincing me to let my son socialize with the children of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the child of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.”

“If I were you, I would not pass up that opportunity!” Ruth told Nicola, “William and Kate, and even Harry and Meghan have such sweet children. I’ve met them a few times and they never fail to charm the people around them!”

“That’s three of us now saying that you should consider letting Andrew socialize with the Queen’s great grandchildren.” Theresa commented, “Now, what do you say Nicola?”

“Please Aunt Nicola.” Hilda said as she looked up to Nicola with her beady brown eyes

“Please mummy, can I go play with Hilda and her friends in London?” Andrew asked as he held on to his mother’s hand.

Nicola then looked at her son and told him, “Mummy will let you play with Hilda and her friends in London the next time we visit London. Is that okay?”

“Yes mummy!” Andrew said, hugging his mother afterwards

“Well, there we have it!” Ruth said, “Looks like Theresa, her daughter, your son and I managed to convince you!”

“If anything happens to my wee Andrew, you and Theresa are going to be in big trouble!” Nicola playfully said, although she would be likely to tell Theresa and Ruth off if the playdate doesn’t go smoothly.

* * *

Philip made his way towards the entrance of the Bute House. Since he didn’t have so much to do at work on that day, he was able to spend the rest of the day off from his work, and thus, he decided to go to Edinburgh to surprise his wife and daughter.

Theresa and Hilda were on their way out of the Bute House when they encountered Philip, who had a bouquet of flowers on one hand, and a teddy bear wearing a white top and a kilt.

“Hello Philip, I wasn’t expecting to see you here!” Theresa told her husband as she hugged him

“I didn’t have much to do at work today, so I got to spend the rest of the day off.” Philip explained as he hugged his wife back, “and I decided to book a flight to Edinburgh to surprise you and our lovely little lass.”

“You’re such a sweet man, aren’t you?” Theresa told Philip

“And these are for you!” Philip said as he handed Theresa over the bouquet and the box of gluten free Empire Biscuits, “I got you a bouquet of flowers, and a teddy bear!”

“Thank you, Philip! That is very thoughtful of you!” Theresa said as she took the bouquet of flowers and the teddy bear from her husband.

As Theresa, Philip and Hilda made their way down the steps of the Bute House, a familiar face approached them. It was no other than Theresa’s former spad, Fiona Hill.

“Theresa, Philip, Hilda!” Fiona called out as she ran up to the three, “I’m so happy to see the three of you!”

“Fiona, it’s nice to see you too!” Theresa told Fiona, who was very overjoyed with seeing her former boss, and her former boss’ family on that day.

“Aunt Fiona!” Hilda said as she ran up to Fiona, holding her hand, “I miss you!”

“Aunt Fiona misses you too, wee lass!” Fiona said, “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine!” Hilda said with a toothy grin, “How are you?”

“I’m doing fine too!” Fiona replied

“So, what are you doing lately?” Theresa asked Fiona

“I’ve been contributing to magazines and newspapers and now, I’m doing an interview for Holyrood magazine.” Fiona said with glee, “I just finished interviewing a Scottish Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament and I was just walking by Charlotte Square when I saw you three coming out of the Bute House.”

“I’m glad to know that you are happy with your work!” Theresa told Fiona

“I’m also collaborating with Owen Jones on a piece for The Guardian, and while we don’t see each other eye-to-eye most of the time.” Fiona said, “I’m glad to say that we’re actually getting along well. In fact, he says that he’s learned a lot of things from me.”

“That’s really good to hear!” Theresa said, “I do hope the collaboration that you two do would lead to the both of you understanding each other’s politics better. Not to mention that what you two are doing would help a lot in uniting this country and making it stronger than ever, especially now that our country has already left the EU.”

“Theresa’s right!” Philip added, “You and Mr. Jones are helping this country as political journalists and I hope that you two will be able to convince the British people to set their differences aside for the betterment of our nation.”

“Theresa, Philip, that’s really kind of you two to say those things!” Fiona said, “Mr. Jones and I are very excited for this collaboration and I promise that we will do the both of you proud!”

“Aunt Fiona, do you want to go with us?” Hilda asked

“Well, I do not have much to do anymore so…” Fiona replied, “Would it be alright if I tagged along with you three?” she asked Theresa, Philip and Hilda.

“We would be happy to have you along with us!” Theresa told Fiona

“That’s right, we would be happy for you to join us!” Philip added

“Thank you!” Fiona said with glee as she joined the Mays for the rest of the day


	26. Shopping Trips and a visit to a Castle

The Mays decided to stop by a shop in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile that was selling handmade goods. The shop sold items like handmade clothes, accessories, decorations, toys and mugs. The shop was manned by two shopkeepers – a man and a woman. There were also five other people who helped them man the shop. They walked up to a counter at the shop which had a variety of rings, bangles, necklaces and bracelets displayed on top of it.

“Good day!” A woman who was one of the shopkeepers said, “Welcome to our shop! Is there anything in this shop that you three might be interested in?”

“We were just taking a look at the rings, bangles and bracelets that you’ve put on display.” Theresa said as she lifted Hilda up so that she could have a better look at the accessories displayed on the counter.

“These accessories on display were just made earlier today by our apprentices.” The female shopkeeper said, “We’ve got five apprentices currently, and they’ve all done an amazing job with crafting these accessories!”

“I can clearly see that.” Theresa said as she admired the accessories on display which were made by the five apprentices mentioned by the female shopkeeper.

“The apprentices have been with us for a couple of weeks already.” The female shopkeeper went on, “My husband, who runs this shop with me, and I, have decided to start taking in apprentices because we want to help these young people secure a better future as craftsmen and craftswomen.”

“That is so nice of you and your husband to make such decision.” Theresa said, “And by the way, I haven’t gotten your names.”

“I’m Gladys.” The female shopkeeper said, “and my husband, Angus, is manning the counter behind you three.”

“Hello there!” The male shopkeeper said as he waved his hand, “Our shop is lovely, isn’t it?”

“It’s lovely, indeed.” Theresa remarked. She always found shops selling handmade goods to be lovely, and she always made sure to visit one whenever she was travelling around the United Kingdom.

Then, a man and a woman entered the shop and the Mays were able to recognize them – the woman being Fiona Hill, Theresa’s former Special Adviser, and the man being Owen Jones, the famous Labourite journalist.

“Good morning sir!” Fiona told Angus, “Are Gladys and Angus Paterson around? Owen and I are here to interview them for a piece we’re doing about emerging businesses in the UK.”

“Gladys is over there.” Angus told Fiona as he pointed out to Gladys, “I’m her husband, Angus.”

“Hello there!” Gladys said to Fiona and Owen, “You two must be Fiona Hill and Owen Jones! Welcome to our shop!”

“We’re glad to be here!” Fiona told Gladys, “and thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed by us!”

“Angus and I are honored to be interviewed by you two!” Gladys said to Fiona.

Fiona then walked closer to the counter where the Mays were taking a look at the accessories on display. This is the second time that she has come across them while she is in Edinburgh, the first time being the previous day when she was walking by Charlotte Square.

“Hello Theresa! Hello Philip!” Fiona said while waving her hand at them, “and hello there, Hilda!”

“Hello Fiona!” Theresa, Philip and Hilda said in unison as they waved their hands at her

“It’s so terrific to see you here!” Theresa told Fiona, “and I see that Mr. Jones is with you. Is this for the piece that you two are doing?” She added, referring to Owen Jones.

“Yes, indeed!” Fiona told Theresa, “We’re doing an interview with selected businesses at the Royal Mile here in Edinburgh as part of our piece.”

“That’s interesting!” Theresa remarked. She was excited to find out how the piece that Fiona and Owen are working together would look like.

“Mrs. Paterson, if you don’t mind, can we start with the interview?” Fiona asked Gladys.

“Since I still have to attend to these lovely customers,” Gladys told Fiona and Owen, referring to the Mays, “Perhaps you could go ahead and start the interview with my husband first, and I’ll catch up in a while.”

“I think that’s a good plan!” Owen told Gladys. He was very excited to conduct the interview with the Patersons, especially because he had read about how they were helping underprivileged youth by taking them in as apprentices.

“Owen and I would like to let you know that we’d love to show you three around Edinburgh after we do the interview with the Patersons!” Fiona told Theresa, Philip and Hilda

“Just give us a call when you’re done with the interview.” Theresa told Fiona, “We’ll be here until the end of the day.”

“Perfect!” Fiona said, “We hope to see you later!” she added.

Then, Fiona and Owen walked to the opposite side of the shop where Angus stood, and they started their interview with him.

“Now, which one of our creations are you interested in?” Gladys asked with excitement in her voice as she turned her attention back to Theresa

“I’ve taken a liking to that wooden bangle with a leopard print.” Theresa said as she pointed to a bangle on display with a leopard print that was made of wood.

Gladys then handed the leopard print wooden bangle over to Theresa who inspected the said bangle. The leopard print on the bangle was painted by hand intricately. Gladys was hoping that the Prime Minister would purchase the bangle as many people had taken interest on the accessories sold in her shop, only to walk out without buying anything because they were put off by the price.

“I am getting this one!” Theresa told Gladys, whose face perked up in glee as soon as she heard the five words that meant that the bangle was getting sold.

“Thank you so much!” Gladys said, “Before anything else, is there something else you’d like to get from this shop?”

“I want this one!” Hilda piped up as she held up a ragdoll with brown hair and a pink dress. Hilda then ran up from the corner of the shop where the ragdolls were displayed to where her mother stood, while Philip, who had a mug on hand, followed behind.

“Well then, my daughter wants this ragdoll too.” Theresa said as she handed the ragdoll that Hilda gave her over to Gladys.

Philip arrived back at the counter where his wife and daughter stood and put the mug that he held on to on the counter. The mug had the lyrics of 500 Miles by The Proclaimers painted on it.

“I’d like to get this mug!” Philip said with excitement after putting the mug on the counter

“Looks like we’ve gotten amazing items from this shop!” Theresa remarked

“You three have made excellent choices!” Gladys said, “Now, let me just scan the barcodes of these items.”

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the shop, Fiona and Owen were now in the middle of interviewing Angus, who was happy to answer their questions. The two were now asking Angus about the direction that the shop will be taking now that Brexit has taken place.

“We have now exited the European Union, does that affect your business in any way?” Fiona asked Angus.

“The United Kingdom exiting the European Union isn’t going to pose a negative impact on this business.” Angus said with confidence, “Especially now that Britain has secured a Brexit deal that allows us to continue trading with the EU, and at the same time, we now have more freedom to trade with the rest of the world.”

“That’s interesting to hear!” Owen told Angus, “Now, the UK exiting the EU has become an opportunity for local British businesses to break into the global market. Do you and Gladys have any plans to export the products in this shop?”

“Gladys and I are considering on taking that as a next step in expanding our business.” Angus explained, “As of now, we have already worked on expanding our business through promotion – we join trade shows, we give special discounts to tourists from outside the UK, and we run social media accounts for this shop.”

The Mays had already paid for the items they bought, which were packed by an apprentice of the store into a cardboard shopping bag. Gladys then handed the cardboard shopping bag over to the Mays.

“Thank you so much for coming to our store!” Gladys told Theresa, Philip and Hilda, “I really hope you three would come back here soon!”

“We would love to shop here again!” Theresa said with glee, “I hope you and your husband have a good day!”

“May you three have a good day too!” Gladys replied with a smile. Then, she walked over to the opposite side of the shop to join her husband who was still being interviewed by Fiona and Owen.

* * *

“This is one of the best places to go to if you want to see a stunning view of Edinburgh!” Fiona told Theresa, Philip and Hilda as they looked at the view that was the city of Edinburgh from the Edinburgh Castle. They had just finished touring the castle and now they decided to admire the scenery of Edinburgh from the castle’s observation deck.

“I’ve been here many times and seeing Edinburgh from this castle still never ceases to amaze me!” Owen said, “This castle is the crown jewel of Edinburgh, not just because it literally has the crown jewels on display, but also because this castle offers the best view of Edinburgh and is the most well-known landmark in the city.”

“Such an amazing place, isn’t it, Philip?” Theresa asked her husband. They were holding each other’s hands as they admired the breathtaking view of Edinburgh.

“Indeed, it’s such an amazing place!” Philip told Theresa, “What better way to spend some time with my family than to visit this beautiful place!”

Going to historic places and going to mountains and hills were two of the many things that the Mays do as a family. Visiting the Edinburgh castle gave them the opportunity to go to a historic place and go to a hill.

“Mummy, daddy, look at those buildings and trees!” Hilda said as she looked at the scenery of Edinburgh in awe while being carried by Fiona so that she could have a better look at the view of Edinburgh.

Theresa and Philip then looked at the direction that Hilda was pointing at, where they saw a cluster of buildings with trees in front of them.

“Looks like our daughter finds this place amazing too!” Philip commented with glee.

“She is surely enjoying this tour!” Theresa commented as she watched Hilda listen intently to Fiona and Owen who were pointing out the important landmarks that could be seen from the Edinburgh Castle’s observation deck.

“and that’s Princes Street Gardens. It’s a public park.” Owen said as he pointed the Princes Street Gardens out to Hilda, “and right there, you can see a small cottage.”

“That cottage is called The Gardener’s Cottage.” Fiona said, “It was built in 1886 by Robert Morham.”

“Wow!” Hilda said as she looked towards the small cottage, “It looks like a house, does somebody live there?”

“The Head Gardener of the Princes Street Gardens used to live there, but now, nobody lives there anymore.” Fiona told Hilda, “The cottage is more like a museum these days.”

“Can we go there?” Hilda asked Fiona and Owen

“For now, it’s closed to the public.” Owen explained, “But when you and your mummy and daddy would come back here to Edinburgh, you could ask them to take you there.”

“Mummy, daddy,” Hilda called out to her parents, who then turned towards her direction.

“What is it sweetie?” Philip asked her daughter

“Can we go to The Gardener’s Cottage next time?” Hilda asked as she pointed at The Gardener’s Cottage

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda, “We’ll visit The Gardener’s Cottage next time we’re here!”

“Looks like we should get going.” Fiona told the Mays and Owen, “Theresa, Philip and Hilda still have a flight to catch.”

Fiona then slowly put Hilda down so that she could walk back to her parents. Then, Hilda walked back to her parents, after which, she held her mother’s hand with her left hand and her father’s hand with her right. The Mays then walked together with Fiona and Owen walking right beside them. The five then made their way out of the Edinburgh Castle.

The Mays enjoyed their trip to a shop at the Royal Mile and visiting the Edinburgh Castle for the first time and they could not wait to see more of Edinburgh the next time they return!


	27. Father's Day 2019

The Mays have just finished attending the Sunday church service and they had just finished mingling along with the churchgoers right after the church service. Now, they were having lunch in their home in Maidenhead.

“Daddy, I’ve got a surprise for you!” Hilda told her father

“Well, what is it, sweetie?” Philip asked

Hilda then stood up from her chair at the dining room and ran into the living room. When she returned, she had a card in hand which had “Happy Father’s Day” written in front with a blue marker. Hilda then handed the card over to Philip who opened the card to read its contents which had this text written with a blue marker on one half of the card:

_There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love._

_-1 John 4:18_

And on the other half of the card, this was the text written with a blue marker as well:

_Happy Father’s Day to the best daddy in the world! I love you!_

_-Hilda_

Below that text on the second half of the card was a drawing of Philip with Theresa and Hilda drawn using crayons. Philip could not help but marvel at the effort that Hilda put for her Father’s Day card.

“Hilda, thank you for this card!” Philip said, ruffling Hilda’s hair and kissing her on the forehead afterwards, “You’ve done great in making this card!”

“You’re welcome, daddy!” Hilda replied

“Did you make the card yourself, sweetie?” Philip asked Hilda

“I did!” Hilda said, “and mummy helped me a bit!”

“I still appreciate it!” Philip replied, “It’s the thought that counts, after all!”

“Hilda spent hours making that card, you know.” Theresa told Philip, “and she picked that bible verse for the card!”

“Because you always protect us, like what the bible verse says about unconditional love!” Hilda told Philip

“Oh, Hilda sweetie! Daddy loves you so much!” Philip told Hilda

Theresa then went inside the kitchen and when she went back to the dining room, she brought with her a freshly-baked carrot cake which was a favorite of Philip’s.

“Here’s a freshly-baked carrot cake for my lovely husband and the father of our daughter!” Theresa said as she set down the carrot cake on the dining table, “Happy Father’s Day, dear!”

“Thank you, love!” Philip told Theresa

“We love you daddy!” Hilda told her father

“Thank you, sweetie!” Philip told Hilda

“Now, let’s have some cake, shall we?” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, after which, Philip sliced the cake, giving one slice each to Theresa and Hilda before getting a slice for himself.

“This cake is really delicious!” Philip said as he took his first bite from his slice of the cake

“Daddy is right, this is delicious!” Hilda told her mother

“You always make the best carrot cakes!” Philip told Theresa

“Thank you, you two!” Theresa told Philip and Hilda

* * *

After lunch, the Mays decided to make a trip to Wheatley to visit the grave of Theresa’s father, the late Reverend Hubert Brasier. When they arrived at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, they made their way to the grave of Hubert. Hilda then put down the basket of roses on top of her grandfather’s grave as Theresa and Philip set up the grave lantern.

The Mays gave their respects to Hubert by saying a prayer for him, which was followed by a few minutes of solemn silence. Even though it has been three years since Theresa and Philip became parents to Hilda, they still could not help but wonder how Hubert would react to finally having a granddaughter.

“Is grandpa in heaven now?” Hilda asked her parents

“Yes sweetie, your grandpa is now in heaven.” Theresa answered

“He is always watching over us.” Philip added

“Mummy, what was grandpa like?” Hilda asked her mother

“Well sweetie, your grandpa Hubert was very kind to his parishioners. You see, he was a vicar.” Theresa told Hilda, “and with his job comes with the responsibility of being there for his parishioners whenever they need him – whether they need prayers or advice.”

“Does he like to watch cricket like you and daddy?” Hilda asked out of curiousity

“He loves watching cricket, in fact, he introduced me to the sport.” Theresa explained, “Your grandpa Hubert and I would listen to the Test Matches on the radio, and we would watch them on the telly too.”

“Does grandpa love carrot cakes like daddy does?” Hilda asked

“Well, your grandpa loves carrot cakes too.” Theresa told Hilda, “and your grandma Zaidee used to make him carrot cakes on special occasions.”

“Does he talk about politics too? Like what you and daddy do over dinner?” Hilda asked

“Your grandpa Hubert talks about politics over the dining table, along with your grandma Zaidee.” Theresa explained, “Your grandpa Hubert taught me that public service means helping others and setting aside your differences with them and that has always guided me, even now when I’m Prime Minister.”

“Wow!” Hilda said in awe, “Grandpa must be proud of you being Prime Minister!”

“I’m sure he is.” Theresa told Hilda, “and I’m also sure that he’s proud that you’ve made friends with people from different walks of life.” She added, referring to the fact that Hilda has befriended children from Nicola Sturgeon’s son, to the royal grandchildren, and to the children in Maidenhead.

“I’ve got to agree, he would be proud of us, and of Hilda too.” Philip mused

After staying for a few more moments, the Mays left the church grounds of the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. Visiting the grave of Hubert every Father’s Day was also a tradition for Theresa and Philip, a tradition which they had started to practice with their daughter since she came into their lives.

* * *

The Mays passed by a bakery in Maidenhead to buy some Jaffa cakes before heading home. When they arrived at home, they decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the living room where they watched history documentaries and movies based on historical figures and events. 

Philip could not help but feel grateful that God had given him and his wife the chance to become parents when Hilda arrived in their lives, and celebrating Father's Day made him feel even more grateful for the gift of parenthood.


	28. A New Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip adopt a dog for Hilda.

_June 21, 2019 – Burford, West Oxfordshire_

“Which dog would you like to adopt, Hilda?”

Theresa and Philip brought Hilda to the Blue Cross’ Burford Rehoming Centre after they had decided that Hilda could have a dog. It has been years since Theresa and Philip last had a dog and having a dog once again after a long time, and having their daughter share their love for dogs with them, was something they are excited about.

Chelsea, a volunteer for the animal shelter was the one who showed the Mays around the part of the animal shelter where the dogs were situated. Hilda then pointed out to a Chocolate Labrador puppy in the kennel, “That one!”

“That’s Chloe!” Chelsea said, turning to Theresa afterwards to say, “She’s a two-month old Chocolate Labrador puppy that has been with us since a month ago and she’s a perfect addition to your family! She’s gentle with people so she’ll get along with you and your family fairly easily.”

“Well then Hilda, looks like Chloe is the perfect choice!” Theresa told Hilda

“Labradors need a lot of outdoor space and they need to be taken for walks regularly as well.” Chelsea explained

“You’ve got nothing to worry about that, Downing Street has a garden big enough for the puppy to move around in, and we’ve got a garden big enough for the puppy at our home in Maidenhead as well.” Theresa told Chelsea

“And we’ll make time to walk the puppy regularly.” Philip added

“Now that we’ve got the matching sorted, the payment of the rehoming fee is the next thing you should do.” Chelsea told the Mays, “the rehoming fee is £200 since the puppy is still under four months old. The cashier is right that way, Mr. & Mrs. May” she added as she pointed Theresa and Philip to the direction of the shelter’s cashier’s office.

Theresa and Philip then walked with Hilda to the cashier’s office where they paid for the rehoming fee of the Chocolate Labrador puppy that they are about to adopt. After paying for the rehoming fee, they returned to the part of the animal shelter where the dogs were situated and then Chelsea gave them a few reminders before handing over Chloe to them.

* * *

After picking the puppy up from the animal shelter, the Mays headed to Waitrose to buy a dog bed, as well as some supplies for her.

“So, which dog bed would you like to pick for Chloe?” Philip asked Hilda as he carried Chloe with the bag-like dog carrier that was provided by the animal shelter

“That one!” Hilda said, pointing out to a medium-sized dog bed with leopard prints all over them

“Well then, let’s get that one for the puppy, shall we?” Theresa said, prompting Philip to put the dog carrier down so that he can get the dog bed from the display racks.

Then, the Mays proceeded to the check-out counter to pay for their purchases which included the dog bed, a collar and leash, a feeding bowl, dog food, dog treats, shampoo and some chew toys.

“That would be £88.” The woman at the check-out counter said after punching in the items and packing them up

Theresa then took out her wallet and gave the woman a £100 note, the woman then gave her a change of £12. The Mays then left Waitrose and drove back to Maidenhead.

* * *

Theresa had returned from a meeting with her constituents and when she walked into her home, she was met by the sight of Hilda toting Chloe around while Philip followed her. She could see the happiness in her daughter’s eyes as she bonded with the family’s newly-adopted puppy.

“Hello love!” Philip said with glee, “It’s nice to have you back home!”

“I’m glad to be home, love!” Theresa said as she hugged her husband, giving him a peck on the cheek afterwards.

“Hello mummy!” Hilda said as she walked closer to her mother, “Chloe and I had so much fun!”

“That’s nice to hear sweetie!” Theresa said as she hugged her daughter, kissing her on the forehead afterwards

“Can we play with Chloe at the backyard!” Hilda told her mother

“Sure sweetie!” Theresa said, “Philip darling, can you get the tennis ball for the dog?” She added, turning to her husband

“Of course, love!” Philip said, making his way to the storage room of the house to get the tennis ball for the puppy to use.

Theresa and Hilda then headed out to the backyard where Hilda put Chloe down so that she could run around the backyard. Philip then joined them at the backyard with the tennis ball in hand.

“Hilda sweetie, shall we play catch with Chloe?” Philip asked Hilda as he showed her the tennis ball on his palm

“Sure daddy!” Hilda said with excitement

“Your mummy and I are going to teach you how to play catch with Chloe.” Philip said

“Now Philip, may I have the tennis ball?” Theresa asked

“Sure, love!” Philip said as he handed the tennis ball over to Theresa

“Listen carefully to your daddy and I, okay?” Theresa told Hilda

“Okay mummy!” Hilda responded with glee on her voice

“Alright then,” Theresa said, “The first thing you do is walk near Chloe.” She added as she walked closer to Chloe, with her husband and her daughter following behind.

“Then, you call over the dog.” Philip said

“Chloe!” Hilda called out

“Then, you throw the tennis ball like this.” Theresa said as she threw the tennis ball forward, “and say “Catch!”

Chloe then chased the tennis ball and played with it using her paws for a few moments. Philip then walked towards Chloe and took the tennis ball after Chloe had finished playing with it. He then washed the tennis ball with water from the garden hose before joining his wife and daughter.

“Would you like to try playing catch with Chloe?” Theresa asked Hilda

“Sure mummy!” Hilda said.

“Here’s the tennis ball.” Philip said as he handed the newly-washed tennis ball over to Hilda

Hilda then stood behind Chloe and threw the tennis ball forward, after which, she said “Catch!”

Chloe then sprinted towards the tennis ball and did the same thing she did when Theresa showed Hilda how to play catch with her. Then, Hilda and Chloe continued to play more rounds of catch as Theresa and Philip watched over her.

“Our daughter surely is happy with our new puppy!” Philip mused as he looked at Hilda play catch with Chloe

“She sure is!” Theresa said with glee, “It’s so amazing that we’ve been blessed with a daughter after waiting for so long, and now, we’ve been blessed a dog again after so many years. God is really amazing!”

“Indeed, He is.” Philip said, affirming what his wife had just said

Theresa and Philip were grateful to God that he had continued to bless the family that they have formed. From having a daughter three years back, now, they have a dog as well, which they have not been able to have for a long time. They hoped that as a family, they will have a strong bond with Chloe for the years to come.


	29. A Summer Reception at the Country

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May hosts a summer reception at Chequers.

_July 12, 2019 – Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire_

Theresa May hosted a summer reception at Chequers which was attended by members of her Cabinet, civil servants, Conservative MPs, some members of the Royal Family as well as some special guests.

Among the special guests was Melania Knauss, formerly known as Melania Trump. She had divorced the President of the United States the previous year and moved to the United Kingdom along with her son, Barron.

At this point, she worked as a personal dresser in London, and lives in a flat in the city that was rented out to her by the Mays. The flat was formerly occupied by the Mays when Theresa was still Home Secretary.

“Melania, this is Sarah, Duchess of York.” Theresa said, “Sarah, this is Melania Knauss, a personal dresser.”

“Pleased to meet you, Sarah.” Melania told Sarah as she shook her hand

“Prime Minister, I’d like to say that I had been looking for a personal dresser now that I’m starting to become more active again with the royal duties.” Sarah told Theresa, “Perhaps, Ms. Knauss here would like to work for me.”

“How does that sound, Melania?” Theresa asked Melania, who was now visibly excited about working for a high-profile person.

“That sounds amazing!” Melania said, “I am more than happy to be your personal dresser!”

“Congratulations Ms. Knauss,” Sarah said as she extended her hand to her, “you’ll now be working as my personal dresser!”

Melania then shook Sarah’s hand, and in that moment, Melania felt that her life was making a 180 degree turn for the better.

* * *

At the gardens in Chequers, Hilda joined Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their cousin, Princess Melissa. Their parents had brought them along for the summer party, and thus they were also dressed for the occasion.

Princess Charlotte was clad in a red summer dress while her older brother, Prince George, had a red button-up top and a pair of khaki slacks on. Princess Melissa wore a peach summer dress while Hilda wore a blue summer dress.

Barron, who was also brought along by his mother, joined them. He was also dressed for the occasion in a black suit and a red tie.

“Barron, this is Princess Charlotte.” Hilda said, “and Princess Charlotte, this is Barron, Aunt Melania’s son.”

“Hello Barron!” Princess Charlotte said with a smile as she reached out her hand, “It’s nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you, Your Royal Highness!” Barron said as he held Princess Charlotte’s hand, doing a curtsey afterwards

This led to Princess Charlotte giggling, owning to the fact that Barron was much taller than her but now, they were of the same height when he did his curtsey. Prince George, Princess Melissa and Hilda also giggled along.

Princess Charlotte then proceeded to run, with Barron still holding on to her hand. The two ran down the stairs that led to another part of the garden, where most of the guests were situated in. Prince George, Princess Melissa and Hilda followed along.

Princess Charlotte then stopped running when she reached where her mother and father stood at, along with her grand aunt, Sarah, her grand uncle Andrew, her aunt Meghan and uncle Harry, and the Prime Minister and her husband. Then, she and Barron let go of each other’s hands.

“Hello there, Charlotte!” Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge said upon noticing her daughter, “It seems that you have made a new friend!” she added as she looked at Barron, who stood right beside her daughter.

“His name is Barron.” Charlotte told her mother, “He’s Aunt Melania’s son.”

“Good afternoon, Your Royal Highnesses.” Barron said, curtseying to both Kate and William, “I’m Barron Knauss, it is a pleasure to meet you two.” He added as he shook the hands of both royals

“I see that you have met our daughter,” William, the Duke of Cambridge, told Barron, “as well as our son.”

“Yes sir, I’ve met them both.” Barron said with confidence

“Well then, I hope you’ll maintain a good friendship with them both.” Prince William said

“I definitely will, sir.” was what Barron told the Duke of Cambridge, who was impressed at Barron being polite – completely an opposite to his father, who broke royal protocol when he met his grandmother the previous year.

“Melania’s son is such a sweet lad, isn’t he?” Kate commented after Barron spoke to her husband

“I think our children will find a good friend in him.” William replied, “After all, they might be seeing him more often since his mother now works as Aunt Sarah’s personal dresser.”

* * *

Hilda, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Princess Melissa and Barron were now gathered around by the gardens after Princess Charlotte had introduced Barron to her parents. They were talking about the things that interest them.

“Do you play any sports?” Princess Charlotte asked Barron as Hilda, Prince George and Princess Melissa listened intently, waiting for Barron to answer.

“Well, I play football.” Barron told Princess Charlotte, “and I want to play in the Olympics and in the World Cup when I’m older. How about you?”

“I do horse riding and when I’m older, I want to compete at the Olympics.” Princess Charlotte said, “I play football and tennis too!”

Barron was impressed at the fact that Princess Charlotte did not play one, but three sports. He knew that he’d get along well with her because of their shared interest in sports, particularly in football.

“Wow! You play a lot of sports!” Barron said with awe, “What other things can you do?” he added

“I can speak Spanish!” Princess Charlotte said with a smile.

“Can you say something in Spanish?” Barron asked Princess Charlotte, wanting to hear how she’d sound like speaking Spanish.

“ _Me caes bien_.” Princess Charlotte told Barron

“What does that mean?” Hilda asked Princess Charlotte

“I just told him that I like him.” Princess Charlotte replied

“Looks like my sister likes being friends with you.” Prince George told Barron with a laugh

“I’m glad to hear that!” Barron said with a smile

“How about you Barron, do you know another language?” Princess Charlotte asked Barron

“I can speak Slovenian and French aside from English.” Barron told Princess Charlotte.

“Well then, can you say something in Slovenian?” Princess Charlotte asked Barron

Barron then cleared his throat and said, “ _Tudi ti si meni všeč._ ”

“What does that mean?” Princess Charlotte asked, curious about what Barron just said

“It means that I like you too.” Barron said with a smile

“How about in French,” Princess Charlotte said, “Say something in French!”

“Here goes…” Barron said, “ _Tu es incroyable!_ ”

“and what does that mean?” Princess Charlotte asked again

“It means that you’re amazing.” Barron told Princess Charlotte as he looked into her eyes. Hilda did the same as well.

“You two look so adorable!” Hilda said as she looked at Princess Charlotte and Barron look into each other’s eyes.

“Hilda is right, you two look so adorable!” Prince George said. After which, he, Hilda and Princess Melissa started to giggle.

For the rest of the summer reception, the children had fun talking about many things and playing games. Hilda and the royal children were happy to gain a new friend that day.

* * *

After the summer reception had finished, Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now at the living room in Chequers – along with their dog, Chloe, whom they’ve brought along for their stay in Chequers over the weekend. Hilda was now talking to her parents about the summer reception.

“Mummy, Barron and Princess Charlotte were holding hands at the summer reception.” Hilda told her mother, “Like you and daddy hold hands when you two walk together.”

“Oh my.” Theresa commented, taken by surprise at the fact that Barron and Princess Charlotte seem to have a liking for each other.

“Mummy, they said they both play football!” Hilda said, “and, they were saying nice things to each other in different languages and they looked at each other’s eyes.”

“It seems like they are getting along really well!” Theresa told Hilda

“I think they have a crush on each other!” Hilda told Theresa with glee

“Perhaps they do,” Theresa told Hilda, “But they are still too young to date and marry, and so are you.”

“Your mother is right,” Philip told Hilda, “You, and the royal children, and Barron, are still too young for those things.”

“The right time will come for those things,” Theresa told Hilda, “But for now, you should be doing the things that are appropriate for your age like studying, playing with your friends and spending time with your family. Is that understood?”

“Yes mummy!” Hilda said with a smile

“That a girl!” Theresa said, ruffling her daughter’s hair then kissing her on the forehead afterwards

The Mays then took their dinner and then they spent the rest of the night talking about so many things and watching a movie on the television. They enjoyed the entire day and they could not wait to have more adventures over the summer!


	30. A Holiday in Wales

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mays go on a holiday in Wales.

_Stackpole, Pembrokeshire, Wales_

The Mays were on a holiday in Wales and they decided to visit Stackpole, an estate which is known for its beaches, walking trails and wildlife. Since Stackpole was a dog-friendly place, they were able to bring Chloe along with them.

“Mummy, where are we going?” Hilda asked with curiosity as she, her mother and father and Chloe made their way out of the car park

“We’re going to the Bosherston Lily Ponds.” Theresa said as she held her daughter’s hand

“Are there lots of flowers there?” Hilda asked, “And fishes?”

“Yes sweetie, there are lots of flowers there, specifically lots of water lilies.” Theresa explained to Hilda, “and of course, there are fishes in the pond!”

“What else are there?” Hilda asked

“There are swans and otters too!” Theresa told Hilda

“I can’t wait to see those!” Hilda said out of excitement

The Mays then followed the path to the lake, taking a left. They then crossed the western arm of the lake by the Bosherston causeway. Hilda looked in awe as she saw the water lilies that lined the lake.

“Mummy, Daddy, look at those water lilies!” Hilda said as she pointed to one of the water lilies in the lake

“They look beautiful, don’t they?” Theresa asked Hilda

“Yes they do!” Hilda replied

“Can we take some home?” Hilda asked her parents

“No sweetie, we can’t take those water lilies home.” Theresa said, “Those water lilies shouldn’t be taken away from its home, which is this lake.”

“If we take away those water lilies,” Philip added, “the wildlife here wouldn’t be able to survive well.”

“It’s like what happens if the tree in our backyard were cut off.” Theresa went on further to explain, “If the tree is gone, the birds that would visit us would have nowhere to stay.”

“So the water lilies must stay in the lake.” Philip said

“Is that clear sweetie?” Theresa asked Hilda

“Yes mummy and daddy!” Hilda replied

The Mays then continued their walk. With Chloe being excited to go onward towards the trail, Philip would time to time, have to keep up his pace with the puppy as she would suddenly speed up. Theresa and Philip have decided to forego putting Chloe on a leash since the walk is only a mile long, although they had brought the dog carrier in case it is needed sometime along the walk.

They passed through the limestone bluff where they saw billowing green mats of rare stonewort on the clear water, and it was also there where they spotted some pike swimming – which they were fortunate to see as pikes only showed up to the surface sometimes. They then went to the path through the bushes on their left which led to the Fishpond Camp, a sight that Philip was particularly excited about.

“This coastal fort was built here over 3,000 years ago.” Philip said as he guided Theresa, Hilda and Chloe along the way, “That was way back when the lakes here were tidal inlets.”

“Wow, that’s a long time ago.” Hilda said out of awe as she absorbed the fact that the Fishpond Camp had been around for such a long time already

“Yup, such a long time ago that this has been here even before your mummy and I were even born.” Philip said, “and even before your grandparents were born!”

After going to the Fishpond Camp, the Mays made their way to the central causeway where they were met with more wildlife – this time, an assortment of insects.

“That my dear, is a dragonfly.” Theresa said as she pointed out the dragonflies to Hilda

“But they don’t look like dragons!” Hilda remarked, leading to Theresa and Philip giggling

“Yes sweetie, those don’t look like dragons.” Philip said, “But people a long time ago thought they were once dragons and that’s how it got its name.”

“How about that one, is that also a dragonfly?” Hilda asked as she pointed out to another flying insect that resembled a dragonfly

“That’s a damselfly.” Theresa answered, “It looks like a dragonfly but unlike dragonflies, it flutters when it flies so it flies slower than dragonflies”

“So it’s not a tired dragonfly?” Hilda asked

“No sweetie, it’s not.” Theresa replied

“And what’s that bird?” Hilda asked as she pointed out to one of the birds that flew by the central causeway

“That’s a swallow, sweetie.” Theresa replied

“And what’s that bird?” Hilda said as she pointed out to another bird

“That’s a house martin.” Theresa replied

“It looks like a swallow with a small tail!” Hilda remarked as she looked at the house martin

“and that’s what sets apart a swallow from a house martin.” Philip explained to Hilda, “A swallow has a long forked tail while a house martin has a short forked tail.”

Theresa and Philip were amused with how interested their daughter was with the wildlife around the Bosherston Lily Ponds. They thought at first that she might find the walk boring, but they are now halfway into the walk and she is enjoying it greatly.

The Mays then turned right at the next junction and descended to the Greasy Bridge, after which, they proceeded towards the sea where they saw more birds.

“See that over there, that is a bittern.” Philip said as he pointed out a bittern to Hilda. Again, The Mays had been lucky to sight some bitterns as they only surfaced sometimes in that area.

“Are there pigs here?” Hilda asked when she heard pig-like squeals

“Oh no sweetie, there are no pigs here.” Theresa said, “The squealing sounds you’ve heard comes from the water rails.”

“Where are they?” Hilda asked as she looked around

“They’re in their homes which are the reeds here.” Philip explained, “But we shouldn’t disturb them, okay?”

“Okay daddy!” Hilda answered

“Water rails aren’t the only birds around here.” Theresa explained, “There are also warblers.”

“What are warblers?” Hilda asked Theresa

“They are much smaller than water rails.” Theresa explained

“Is that a warbler?” Hilda asked as she pointed out to a small bird that peeked out of one of the reeds

“Yes sweetie, that is a warbler.” Theresa answered

“They look so cute!” Hilda remarked, “Can we take them home?”

“We can’t take those warblers home, sweetie.” Theresa explained, “Warblers are meant to live here in the wild. This is their home.”

“Plus, we already have Chloe.” Philip added as he picked up Chloe and handed her over to Hilda

“Okay mummy and daddy.” Hilda said as she scooped Chloe into her arms

Then, the Mays went on to cross over the lake outlet through a narrow stone bridge and then they continued right up the lakeside path, taking care to walk quietly and slowly as this was the way to make it more likely for one to spot the otters that stay along the lake.

“Look mummy and daddy, it’s an otter!” Hilda said in a low voice after spotting an otter along the lake

“Great job, Hilda!” Theresa said, also in a low voice as she spotted the otter that Hilda spotted

“I see more otters!” Hilda said as she pointed out towards a few more otters, just nearby where she spotted an otter earlier on

“There’s a mummy otter and her baby otter.” Theresa said as she pointed out to Hilda the mother otter that was floating on the lake, with the baby otter lying down her chest

“That’s adorable!” Hilda remarked

“You know, when you were still a wee baby, I used to do that with you when we would use the pool at Chequers.” Theresa told Hilda

“We were like the mummy and baby otter?” Hilda asked with awe

“That’s right sweetie!” Theresa said as she ruffled Hilda’s hair

“And your mummy held you tight to make sure that you didn’t fall off into the pool.” Philip said, “Just like what the mummy and baby otter are doing.”

“Can we do that again the next time we go to a pool?” Hilda asked

“Well sweetie, you’re way bigger than you were when you were a baby.” Theresa told Hilda, “So I don’t think we would be able to do that again.”

Hilda then pouted at Theresa, then Theresa told her, “But, mummy can carry you in the pool instead. Would that be okay?”

Hilda then perked up and said, “Yes mummy!”

The Mays stayed a bit longer to spot some more otters, after which, they continued their walk back to the parking lot.

* * *

The Mays were now driving back to where they were staying for their holiday in Wales and they decided to talk about how the walk that they took earlier went.

“Did you enjoy our walk today?” Theresa asked Hilda

“Yes mummy, I did!” Hilda answered, then after which, she turned towards Chloe who was now in her dog carrier, “How about you Chloe, did you enjoy the walk?”

Chloe made a bark of approval after Hilda asked her

“Chloe says she enjoyed the walk.” Hilda told Theresa and Philip

“That’s great!” Theresa told Hilda

“I think we should continue taking walking holidays.” Philip commented, “Especially since Hilda here already appreciates the beauty of taking walking holidays.”

“Perhaps when she’s old enough, we can take her to a walking holiday at the Swiss Alps!” Theresa said, excited at the thought of her and Philip taking their daughter with them to the Swiss Alps to go walking.

“That would be amazing!” Philip remarked

“I’m looking forward to it!” Theresa told Philip

Theresa and Philip were very happy at the fact that their daughter had already picked up their love for going on walking holidays. It was a milestone that was worth celebrating!


	31. Love and Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda plays a game of dress-up.

Hilda was rummaging through her mother’s shoe closet, taking out one shoe box after another. She was trying on her mother’s shoes. Though they were obviously too big for her, she tried them on anyway because she liked how the shoes look like – and of course, she wanted to be just like her mummy.

“What are you doing with your mummy’s shoes?” Philip asked as he walked into his and wife’s bedroom while carrying a stack of his clothes.

“I’m wearing them.” Hilda said with a toothy smile, “I want to be just like mummy!”

“Theresa!” Philip called out, “Come over to the room, Hilda’s doing something adorable!”

“I’m on the way!” Theresa said from outside hers and her husband’s bedroom

“Daddy, am I beautiful?” Hilda asked as she shuffled in the pair of leopard print kitten heels that she was trying on

“Of course, sweetie!” Philip said as he was about to open the door to the closet

“Hello love!” Theresa said to Philip as she entered the bedroom with a stack of her clothes on hand, “What’s this adorable thing that Hilda is doing?”

Philip then pointed over to Hilda, who was still shuffling in her mother’s leopard print kitten heels. Hilda looked up to her mother and flashed a toothy smile.

“Now, what are you doing with mummy’s shoes?” Theresa said as she walked towards Hilda

“I want to be just like you!” Hilda said, “So I’m wearing them.”

“Oh sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda, “That’s so adorable of you!”

“She’s been trying out your other shoes too.” Philip commented as he finished putting his clothes into the closet

“I’ve noticed.” Theresa said, noting the fact that she’s seen a number of her shoes, out of their boxes and all over the floor

As Theresa walked towards the closet to put her clothes into the closet, Hilda was now rummaging on her mother’s jewelry box, taking out a pearl necklace and trying to put it on. After a few tries, she managed to put on the pearl necklace. Then, she walked towards her mother and father.

“Look mummy and daddy!” Hilda said, “I’m wearing a beautiful necklace!”

Theresa and Philip then turned their attention towards Hilda, who was not just wearing the leopard print kitten heels, but the pearl necklace as well.

“Looks like our darling baby is having fun playing dress up!” Theresa said, “Aren’t you, sweetie?” she asked Hilda

Hilda continued to smile, answering Theresa’s question.

“Mummy, I want to colour my lips pink, like you always do before you go to work.” Hilda told her mother

“Would you like me to help you put on some lipstick?” Theresa asked Hilda

“What’s a lipstick?” Hilda asked

“It’s what I use to colour my lips pink.” Theresa told Hilda

“Is it like crayons?” Hilda asked

Theresa (and even Philip) could not help but giggle at Hilda asking if lipsticks are like crayons, “It’s like crayons, but it’s for your lips.” Theresa told Hilda.

Theresa then picked up Hilda and set her down on the chair facing the vanity mirror. After which, she opened the drawer of the desk which had an assortment of her make-up. Theresa picked out a baby pink lipstick from the drawer and opened the cap, setting it down on top of the desk. After which, she used a lipstick brush to apply the lipstick on Hilda’s lips.

“There, now I’ve coloured your lips pink!” Theresa told Hilda with joy

“Thank you mummy!” Hilda said, hugging her mother afterwards

Theresa and Philip could not help but look at Hilda with tears of joy. She and Philip have always been longing for moments like this to happen ever since they got married, and now they have finally had this moment.

“You two look wonderful!” Philip said to Theresa and Hilda as he walked over to them with tears of joy in his eyes

“Everything about this is wonderful!” Theresa said also with tears of joy in her eyes as she hugged Philip and Hilda

“Mummy, daddy, why are you two crying? Hilda asked

“Mummy and daddy are just so happy right now!” Theresa answered

“I’m so happy too.” Hilda replied, “I love you mummy and daddy!”

“We love you too!” Theresa and Philip said in unison

Chloe then made her way into the bedroom and ran towards where Theresa, Philip and Hilda were. Then, she jumped up to Chloe’s lap and started to bark.

“And of course, we have not forgotten about you too!” Philip told Chloe, whose tail was wagging in excitement

“We love you too, Chloe!” Hilda told Chloe, hugging her afterwards

“Now, this is even more perfect!” Theresa commented, noting that the entire family was now complete.

“Mummy, can we put some lipstick on Chloe too?” Hilda asked Theresa

“Sweetie, we can’t put lipstick on dogs.” Theresa explained to Hilda, “Lipstick isn’t made for dogs.”

“Your mummy is right.” Philip said, “Lipsticks and dogs don’t go together.”

“Okay mummy and daddy.” Chloe told her parents, “No lipstick for Chloe then!”

The Mays then took Chloe out on a walk at the North Town Moor, after which, they spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies on Netflix while having some ice cream.


	32. Scones and Elections

Theresa had just arrived in the flat at 10 Downing Street after a cabinet meeting. When she went inside, she was met by her husband, her daughter and the family dog, as well as a box of flowers and a tray of freshly-baked scones.

“Oh Philip, this is such a delightful surprise!” Theresa told her husband as she took a closer look at the box of flowers and the tray of freshly-baked scones.

“Thank you love!” Philip told Theresa, “We just wanted to give you something wonderful today.”

“Do you like the flowers, mummy?” Hilda asked with glee

“Of course, sweetie, I like them!” Theresa said as she lifted up the box of flowers which were made up of roses and petunias.

“Daddy helped me put that together.” Hilda proudly told her mother. She and her father had spent the entire afternoon picking the flowers in the box from the 10 Downing Street garden.

“She really wanted to help out with putting the flowers together in the box.” Philip told Theresa, “so I let her help out and it turned out very well!”

“I am very amazed!” Theresa said, “You and Hilda did a great job with the box of flowers. It looks much better than the ones in the flower shops!”

“Thank you!” Philip answered, “Hilda and I only want the best for you!”

“Mummy, would you like some scones now?” Hilda said as she picked up a scone from the tray, handing it over to her mother

“Yes, sweetie.” Theresa said as she took the scone that Hilda offered to her.

Theresa then put some jam on the scone and took a bite of it. Philip and Hilda watched patiently as they waited for her feedback about the scone.

“Well, how is it love?” Philip asked with excitement.

“It’s so delicious!” Theresa told Philip, “You never fail to make the most delicious scones!”

“Of course, I’ve learned how to make those scones only from the best.” Philip said, referring to Theresa who had taught him how to bake the scones from her mother’s recipe back when they were still dating.

“You are such a pleaser, aren’t you?” Theresa said with a smirk, giggling afterwards.

“Because nothing makes me happy more than seeing you pleased!” Philip told Theresa, giggling as well.

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then started to have more of the scones, taking it along with some tea. As they were having their afternoon tea, they were talking about how their day went.

“We had discussed on expanding the United Kingdom’s foreign relations with its allies.” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, “and Amber Rudd had suggested that we tap into our allies in the Commonwealth, as well as our allies in Asia.”

“If it has anything to do with me signing for a modelling contract in China, I’m afraid I’ll have to turn that down.” Philip said jokingly, referring to the fact that when he and Theresa visited China the previous year, young Chinese fans of his wife called him handsome.

“Don’t worry Philip, having you sign a modelling contract in China is not one of the options.” Theresa said, laughing afterwards.

“Well, thank goodness!” Philip said, sighing in relief. Though he was active in campaigning for his wife, and in supporting her in her duties, he would not go to the extent of signing modelling contracts or appearing in reality shows and the like to be able to do so.

“On the other hand, we’ll be visiting Canada again, right after their federal elections.” Theresa told Philip and Hilda

“What’s a federal election?” Hilda asked, “and why is Canada having it?”

“A federal election takes place so that Canadians can decide if they want to keep their government or not,” Theresa explained, “and Canada is having it because it has been four years since the last federal election, and every four years, they vote to keep their current government, or they vote to replace it with a new one. Though sometimes, an election happens before the four years is up.”

“Do we have that too?” Hilda asked Theresa

“We do, and we call it a general election and it happens every five years, but sometimes, we can call an election before the five years is up, like what I did two years ago, when you were still a baby.” Theresa said.

“Why did you call an election before the five years was up?” Hilda asked

“You see, the first time I became Prime Minister, it was because of a leadership election in the Conservative Party that happened because Mr. Cameron decided to quit serving as Prime Minister after the results of the EU Referendum did not go in his favor.” Theresa explained, “and the British people deserve to have a Prime Minister, and a government that they, and not just a select few, have voted for.”

“How long was Mr. Cameron Prime Minister?” Hilda asked some more

“The government has been Conservative since 2015 when Mr. Cameron became Prime Minister,” Theresa explained, “The first time he was Prime Minister was in 2010, but it was a Coalition government that he headed, rather than a Conservative government.”

“So, he was Prime Minister for six years?” Hilda asked

“That’s right!” Theresa answered

“When is the next election?” Hilda asked with excitement

“That will be three years from now.” Theresa responded

Hilda then counted to three with her fingers, before saying “I will be six years old on the election!”

“That’s right sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda with glee

“Can I vote in the next election?” Hilda asked

“Not yet, sweetie.” Theresa explained, “Children cannot vote yet.”

“I still hope you’ll win the elections and be Prime Minister again.” Hilda told Theresa

“Of course sweetie, mummy will do her very best!” Theresa reassured Hilda

“So, who do you think is going to become the next Canadian Prime Minister?” Philip asked Theresa

“I hope Andrew Scheer becomes Prime Minister of Canada this time,” Theresa told Philip, “He has done an excellent job as opposition leader, and more people have been trusting him compared to the current Prime Minister.”

“Not to mention that his policies would do well for Canada!” Philip remarked

“And of course, do not forget about the fact that he has never used government facilities for his personal use, even when he was the Speaker of the House.” Theresa said, “Unlike the current Prime Minister who had used aircraft owned by the government of Canada for a trip that was not an official government trip.”

“I can’t wait to see how things would go with Mr. Scheer as Prime Minister!” Philip said

“I believe that things would go well with him as Prime Minister,” Theresa told Philip, “and he would be able to strengthen the bond between Canada and the United Kingdom.”

“I agree with you on that.” Philip told Theresa

As Theresa, Philip and Hilda were talking, Chloe started barking as she was eyeing on the tray of scones. The Chocolate Labrador has grown to have a liking for scones ever since the Mays adopted her.

“Here you go, Chloe!” Hilda said as she handed a scone over to Chloe, who happily munched it

“Chloe sure likes her scones, doesn’t she?” Philip remarked

“She sure does!” Theresa told Philip

“Mummy, can we bring Chloe with us when we visit the Prime Minister of Canada?” Hilda asked Theresa

“We’ll see if the Prime Minister would agree to it.” Theresa told Hilda

“Okay mummy!” Hilda responded

The Mays were looking forward for their upcoming trip to Canada that would take place after the Federal Elections, and Theresa and Philip, in particular, felt even more excited knowing that a fellow Conservative has a fair chance of becoming Prime Minister.


	33. An Important Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip make an important announcement to Hilda.

_September 2, 2019 – 10 Downing Street_

“Hilda sweetie, we’ve got something to tell you.” Theresa told Hilda.

Hilda could notice the excitement in her mother’s eyes and she could not help but wonder – are they going to get a new kitten in addition to the Chocolate Labrador puppy that they already have? Are Andrew and Meredith coming over to London? Is Aunt Fiona coming over to visit her?

“You’re going to be a big sister.” Theresa said

“Like George and Charlotte?” Hilda piped up. She knew that George and Charlotte are older siblings to Louis.

“Yes, like George and Charlotte.” Theresa told Hilda, who was now visibly excited over the fact that she was going to have siblings.

“Am I going to have a baby sister or a baby brother?” Hilda asked

“Right now, we do not know yet.” Theresa explained, “When mummy went to have her annual check-up, the doctors said mummy is pregnant with twins, but they couldn’t tell yet if the babies are both girls, both boys or a boy and a girl.”

Theresa had gone to her annual medical check-up and when she had an ultrasound, the doctor who checked her ultrasound results had found that she was now four weeks pregnant, with twins. It seemed like an impossibility as she had already been past menopause but the doctor told her that given the fact that she had undergone fertility treatment before, the effects have carried over even after menopause, and thus, that explained why she was still able to conceive naturally.

That also explained why for the past few weeks, Larry the Cat would start resting by Theresa’s stomach whenever she was seated at the couch of the living room in 10 Downing Street.

“What is pregnant?” Hilda asked her mother

“It’s when a woman has babies, and the babies grow inside the tummy until they are old enough to survive outside of it.” Theresa explained

“So the babies are in your tummy?” Hilda asked in awe

“Yes sweetie, they are in my tummy.” Theresa explained

“Do they look like Meredith?” Hilda asked

“Oh, not yet.” Theresa said, “This is how they look like now.” She added as she handed Hilda over the ultrasound picture.

Hilda looked at the ultrasound picture intently before saying, “They look like beans!”

Theresa and Philip then burst into laughter right after Hilda said that the twins looked like beans in the ultrasound picture.

“Oh Hilda sweetie,” Theresa said, giggling afterwards, “That’s how babies look like when they’ve started to exist, before being born. In fact, you once looked like that before you were born.”

“And even mummy and daddy looked like that once before they were born.” Philip added, giggling afterwards as well.

“We all looked like beans once?” Hilda could not help but ask in awe, grasping the new knowledge that she has just learned from her parents about how a baby looks like during the early stages of pregnancy.

“Yes, sweetie, we all looked like beans once.” Theresa told Hilda, “Then, as the pregnancy progresses, the baby that once looked like a bean starts to have a face, and their arms and legs form too, then finally, they start growing hair and when they’re already born, they look like the babies we see every day.”

“Wow.” was all that Hilda said

“Are you excited for your new siblings, sweetie?” Philip asked Hilda

“Yes!” Hilda said, hugging her mother and father afterwards

* * *

“I am so grateful that God has given us this blessing,” Theresa told Philip, “First, Hilda came into our lives, and now, there are two more babies coming into our lives!”

“God has been very kind to us!” Philip said, “He has made the impossible, possible!”

“There is nothing impossible with God.” Theresa told Philip, “After all, he has made many miracles, like Elizabeth getting pregnant even at an old age.” She added, referring to Elizabeth, the Biblical Figure from the New Testament who became pregnant with John the Baptist at an old age.

“What are miracles, mummy?” Hilda asked her mother

“Miracles are when God makes the impossible things possible.” Theresa explained to Hilda

“And miracles bring us much closer to God.” Philip added

“That’s amazing!” Hilda told her parents, “God is amazing!”

“That’s right, Hilda!” Theresa said, “He is amazing!”

“We’re so happy that God gave us you two.” Philip said as he rested his head and his hand by Theresa’s stomach, “We will always take care of you, our miracle babies.”

“We love you, babies!” Hilda said as she pressed her ear by Theresa’s stomach

Theresa then ruffled the hairs of her husband and her daughter before wrapping them in a hug. She, her husband and her daughter were very much overjoyed at the fact that there were now two more additions in the family.

* * *

Fiona Hill and Owen Jones were at a Costa Coffee in Westminster. They had decided to meet up over snacks that day. The two had developed a close friendship ever since they started working together on a piece about the state of small businesses in the United Kingdom after Brexit.

Owen was showing Fiona pictures from a weekend trip he took to Edinburgh when suddenly, he received a text message from a fellow Labour activist asking him to check Jeremy Corbyn’s Instagram account.

Owen then opened the Instagram app and searched for the Labour leader’s Instagram account, which had a new post – which was a picture of an ultrasound with the following caption:

> **jeremycorbynmp** : _Laura and I are pleased to announce the new addition to our family. Laura is now 20 weeks pregnant with a baby girl!_

Both Fiona and Owen were speechless as they read the pregnancy announcement on Jeremy Corbyn’s Instagram account. Owen then left a comment, congratulating Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez on the new addition to their family.

“I’m happy for Mr. Corbyn and Ms. Alvarez.” Fiona told Owen, “I wish the best for them and their daughter!”

“I’m happy for them as well.” Owen added, “Who would have thought Jeremy would become a father again after twenty or so years.”

“Miracles do happen, Owen.” Fiona told him, “Like how you, a socialist, and I, a conservative, have become close friends.”

“We should really pay Laura and Jeremy a visit one of these days.” Owen suggested

“Perhaps we can go shopping for clothes for the baby.” Fiona said, “and some other stuff that they’ll need for the new baby as well!”

“That’s a great idea!” Owen said in agreement

* * *

“Laura Alvarez is expecting a daughter!” Theresa said as she looked up from her phone. She had just seen Jeremy Corbyn’s latest Instagram post announcing his wife’s pregnancy after Fiona Hill notified her about it.

“Well, this is exciting.” Philip remarked, “First, we find out that we’re having two new additions to the family, and now, the Leader of the Opposition and his wife also announce that they’ve got an addition to their family.”

“Is Aunt Laura having a baby?” Hilda piped up

“Yes sweetie, your Aunt Laura is having a baby.” Theresa said, “She’s having a baby girl.”

“Yay! Aunt Laura is having a baby!” Hilda said with joy

“I’m happy for Jeremy and Laura and I am hoping for all the best for them!” Theresa said

“I am happy for them and I hope for all the best for them as well!” Philip added

Theresa then typed a congratulatory message for the Leader of the Opposition and his wife and posted it on her social media accounts. It read:

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition and his wife, Laura Alvarez, on the new addition to their family.

 “I could not wait to find out if we’re having twin girls, twin boys or a boy and a girl.” Philip told Theresa after she had posted her congratulatory message to Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez on her social media accounts.

“I could not wait for that moment too!” Theresa told Philip, “But for now, let us focus on making sure that this pregnancy becomes strong and stable.” She added as she put her hand on top of her stomach.

“Here’s to our babies becoming strong and stable!” Philip said as he put his hand on top of Theresa’s stomach.

Theresa and Philip then smiled at each other, excited at what the next months have to offer for their growing family.


	34. Baby Boxes and Baby Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May announces the introduction of the Baby Box scheme across the United Kingdom and Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez have decided a name for their daughter.

_September 4, 2019 – House of Commons_

“Will the Right Honourable Prime Minister assure us that her government’s attempt to introduce the Baby Box scheme nationwide will push through?” Jeremy Corbyn, the Leader of the Opposition asked.

Parliament had already resumed after the summer recess and the British Government had just announced its intention to introduce the Baby Box scheme nationwide in the United Kingdom. The scheme was first introduced in Scotland by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, and now, the scheme will be implemented across the United Kingdom through the efforts of the Prime Minister, Theresa May.

“I will assure you that the Baby Box scheme that this government will be introducing across the United Kingdom will push through.” Theresa May, the Prime Minister answered, “and the scheme will not only benefit those who are having their babies biologically, but those who are adopting babies as well. In fact, this government plans to create a similar scheme for those who are adopting children ages one and above. I’m sure that the Right Honourable Leader of the Opposition will find the Baby Box scheme helpful, especially as his wife is now expecting their daughter.”

The rest of the Prime Minister’s Questions went smoothly, and the Prime Minister gathered praises for how well she did on that day’s PMQs, especially when she spoke of the Baby Box scheme that her government would introduce nationwide.

* * *

Theresa was now back in her office in 10 Downing Street doing some paperwork when Philip, her husband, entered the office, carrying a tray with a bowl of peaches and strawberries and a glass of water.

“Why, you’re back early today!” Theresa commented

“I’ve already finished my work for the day,” Philip said, “and I decided to grab some fresh peaches and strawberries from the market and serve them to you personally. I’ve read that these fruits help with your cravings, especially since sweets aren’t healthy for pregnant people with diabetes.”

“How thoughtful of you, love!” Theresa said, “I have been craving for something sweet, but candies wouldn’t really do good for my health, and for the health of our babies, and I’ve read too that fruits can help with that, and you’ve brought me those bowl of peaches and strawberries at the right time!”

“Anything for the boss, of course!” Philip said as he set down the bowl of peaches and strawberries on top of Theresa’s desk.

Theresa took a slice of peach from the bowl and started to eat it. Then, she took a strawberry and started to eat it as well. She then found herself eating more of the peaches and strawberries, which satisfied her cravings for something sweet.

“You did a great job at the PMQs!” Philip told Theresa, “Deciding to introduce the Baby Box scheme nationwide, and making it available to those who have their babies biologically, as well as those who have their babies through adoption is a wonderful idea, and of course, creating a similar scheme for those who’ve adopted children one year old and over is marvelous as well!”

“I, along with the cabinet, have made the decision to introduce the Baby Box scheme, and make it more inclusive because this government is for a Britain that works for everybody.” Theresa explained, “and also, making the Baby Box available to parents who have had their babies through adoption would be very helpful. If we had some struggle getting Hilda the basics when we had just adopted her, imagine how those who are less fortunate than us are struggling in getting the basics for the babies they’ve adopted.”

“Oh, I do remember those days when we had just adopted Hilda.” Philip explained, “Right after Amber said that we could take her home, I spent the first few hours buying things that Hilda needed while you were on your way back to the flat.”

“And I really appreciate the extent you went to make Hilda feel welcomed into our lives.” Theresa said, “You could have just sent Fiona and Nick out to do the shopping for you, but you chose to do it yourself, all while watching over her at the same time.”

“And that didn’t just end there,” Philip said, “We even had to buy even more of Hilda’s basic needs in the next few days!”

“Of course, I remember!” Theresa spoke, “I had just finished a cabinet meeting and we went out to buy more milk for Hilda because she was really drinking a lot of milk, and the supply we had was not enough to match up her demands!”

“And that’s how Hilda became a chunky baby just a few weeks after we took her home!” Philip said with a chuckle. Theresa chuckled as well.

“We sure did a great job to take good care of her when we took her home!” Theresa remarked, “and we still are doing a great job in taking good care of her!”

“Now that the nationwide Baby Box scheme is about to happen, we’re going have an easier time preparing for the arrival of our babies!” Philip said, “and, since the babies are twins, do we get two baby boxes?”

“Of course!” Theresa answered, “We’re going to get two baby boxes, as with every parent who’ll have twins!”

“Some of the staunch believers of austerity in the government benches might not agree to that.” Philip said

“But in matters like the nationwide Baby Box scheme, austerity isn’t going to be helpful.” Theresa said, “Giving people a great start in life shouldn’t be done through austerity measures.”

“And that’s what the staunch believers of austerity in the Conservative Party have not realized.” Philip spoke, “No wonder Mr. Cameron eventually became unpopular. He just relied too much on austerity to fix the problem with our national budget that the last Labour government left.”

“He doesn’t know much about how most British people live, after all, he has been privileged all his life.” Theresa said

Then, Hilda entered Theresa’s office and ran straight to where her parents were situated. Then, she gave a hug to her mother, then to her father.

“Well sweetie, how are you?” Theresa asked Hilda

“I’m fine, thank you!” Hilda told her mother, “and I just saw Larry and Palmerston fight.”

“Are the cats okay?” Theresa asked

“Aunt Amber had to stop them.” Hilda said, “but she’s okay, the cats did not scratch her.”

“That’s good to hear!” Theresa told Hilda

“How are the babies?” Hilda asked Theresa

“They’re doing fine!” Theresa said, “Mummy just ate some peaches and strawberries, and they’re eating them as well.”

“How do they eat if they’re inside your tummy?” Hilda asked

“You see, when babies are still in the tummy, they eat through the umbilical cord.” Theresa explained, “so the peaches and strawberries that I ate go to them through the umbilical cord.”

“Oooh!” Hilda said out of wonder, “So it’s not only you who’s eating but the babies too?”

“That’s right!” Theresa said, “Whatever mummy eats, the babies eat as well!”

Theresa, Philip and Hilda spent the rest of the afternoon in the office, with Philip and Hilda playing board games as Theresa continued to do her paperwork.

* * *

_Islington, London_

Fiona Hill and Owen Jones were out shopping at a fair trade cooperative for some clothes for Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez’s daughter.

“These onesies with heart prints would look cute on Jeremy and Laura’s daughter!” Fiona said as she showed Owen an onesie with heart prints all over it

“I think this tartan onesie would look good on her!” Owen said as he showed Fiona a red tartan print onesie

“Why don’t we get both?” Fiona asked Owen

“You’re paying for both of them!” Owen told Fiona, “Between us, you do get the bigger paychecks!”

“Of course, that’s because I work as a consultant for think-tanks!” Fiona told him, “You should try it some time! Can’t see your potential go into waste, after all!”

“Hey! Writing for The Guardian is not putting my potential into waste!” Owen told Fiona

“I didn’t say that!” Fiona told him, “I was just saying that you should give being a consultant for think-tanks a try!”

“I think we should be getting this onesie with rose prints too!” Owen said as he showed Fiona another onesie with rose prints all over it

“I had no idea you enjoyed shopping so much!” Fiona said, chuckling at Owen

“I do buy clothes for my nephew and niece, you know!” Owen told Fiona, “Just because I said in an interview for The Guardian that I’m not into shopping doesn’t mean that I am absolutely not into it at all!” he added, referring to his interview with The Guardian where he was given a make-over.

“Alright you clothes loving socialist, it’s time to pay for these onesies!” Fiona said, making a reference to Owen’s interview with The Guardian.

Fiona and Owen then walked up to the cashier of the fair trade cooperative to pay for the onesies that they bought. They could not wait to give the onesies to Jeremy and Laura!

* * *

Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez were seated on the couch of their living room. Laura was leaning on Jeremy and they were talking about naming their baby now that they know that it’s a girl.

“Harriet is a nice name.” Laura told Jeremy, “Let’s name her after the Mother of the House.” She added, referring to Harriet Harman, the oldest sitting female MP in the House of Commons.

“Harriet sounds like a nice name for the baby.” Jeremy agreed, “Do you have another name in mind?”

“Camila. I’m thinking of naming the baby Camila too.” Laura said, “I’ve always wanted to name the baby after a famous Latin American as well. Camila Cabello is a famous Latin American, not to mention that she has always been fighting for the immigrants in the United States.”

“Camila sounds like a nice name too!” Jeremy told Laura

“Camila Harriet Corbyn, that sounds beautiful, doesn’t it?” Laura asked Jeremy

“It does, _mi amor_.” Jeremy answered, “It does.”

“You heard that, _mi pequeña_ ,” Laura said as she looked at her baby bump and put her hand on top of it, “You’ve got a name already!”

“Camila Harriet, _mamá y papá te quieren mucho_ ,” Jeremy said, looking at Laura’s baby bump as well then putting his hand on top of it, “ _mamá y papá siempre te cuidarán_.”

“You know, I’m glad that the Prime Minister is introducing the Baby Box scheme nationwide.” Laura then told Jeremy, “That would be of great help to our baby!”

“I have a lot of hope that the scheme goes well once it’s introduced.” Jeremy said

“It will surely go well, _mi amor_.” Laura reassured Jeremy

Jeremy and Laura had now decided on what to name their daughter, and now, they were off to a better start with raising their daughter after the Prime Minister had announced the nationwide Baby Box scheme. Things can only get better, after all!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Mi amor = My love  
> Mi pequeña = My little one  
> Mamá y papá te quieren mucho = Mummy and daddy love you so much  
> Mamá y papá siempre te cuidarán = Mummy and daddy will always take care of you


	35. A Royal Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip May discuss their plans for the next eight months while Jeremy Corbyn and Amber Rudd see an unlikely pair together at a Mexican Restaurant in Islington. Meanwhile, another royal wedding is about to take place.

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were sitting by the living room couch in 10 Downing Street after Theresa had finished chairing a cabinet meeting. Their dog, Chloe was sitting with them on top of a pillow on the couch as Hilda brushed her fur.

Theresa’s left palm rested on top of a pillow that was on top of her lap as Philip dutifully applied nail polish on her nails. The shade of the nail polish is crimson which is Theresa’s favorite nail polish shade.

“How did the cabinet meeting go?” Philip asked as he painted Theresa’s nails

“We were generally productive,” Theresa went on, “Sajid, Matt and Penny had given me their updates regarding the baby box scheme, they said that we should be ready to roll out the scheme nationwide by the end of the month. Just in time for the Conservative Party conference!”

“Well, that’s nice to hear!” Philip remarked, “I’m glad that your cabinet ministers who are mainly in charge of that scheme are bringing good news to the table. I do hope they’ll keep up with the great work!”

“And speaking of babies, you do know that I’d have to take a leave in eight months.” Theresa said, “I intend to take a leave a month before the babies are due and I was thinking of letting Amber take over my duties while I’m on leave, what do you think?”

“I think you should take that leave,” Philip told Theresa, “It’s for the best for our babies, and I’m sure Amber will be able to handle doing your duties while you are on leave.”

“In that case, we should tell her of my pregnancy once I’ve hit the 14 weeks mark.” Theresa said, “Right now, I want to focus on making sure that our babies are in good health knowing that the risk of miscarriage can still be high before the 14 weeks mark.”

“I’ll always be at your back, love.” Philip said after he finished painting Theresa’s nails on her left palm, “We’re going to make it through the next months together as a family.”

“Thank you, love!” Theresa said as she put her right palm on top of the pillow for Philip to apply nail polish on, “We’ll stay strong, for our babies!”

“Mummy, I’ll help you and daddy keep the babies strong.” Hilda said, “and I’ll pray for the babies to be strong!”

“That’s our girl!” Theresa remarked at Hilda, who gave her a toothy grin afterwards

Larry the Cat then climbed up to the living room couch and positioned himself near Theresa’s belly. Hilda then said, “Mummy, Larry’s beside you!”

Theresa turned to her left and saw the cat, then she laughed and said, “Yes Larry, I know there are babies in my tummy.”

Philip and Hilda laughed as well.

* * *

Jeremy Corbyn was in Chilango, a Mexican Restaurant in Islington. He was there to order some burritos after his wife, Laura started to crave for them. Earlier on, he had bought her burritos from Taco Bell, but he told her that she wanted an authentic burrito, and not fastfood burrito.

And that was how he found himself in Chilango.

“May I take your order sir?” The cashier asked Jeremy

“I’d like five burritos, to go.” Jeremy told the cashier, the look on his face being obvious that he could not wait to get his order and go back home.

“Would that be all, sir?” The cashier asked

“Yes.” Jeremy said snappily

“Your order will be served in 10 minutes, sir.” The cashier said, before turning towards the kitchen to take Jeremy’s order to the kitchen, “In the meantime, you may take a seat and we’ll just serve you your order.”

 _I better get those burritos in 10 minutes_ , Jeremy told himself as he took his seat by a table near the counter. He is not upset that his wife had asked him to find her authentic burritos. In fact, he is more than glad to cater to his wife’s needs. It’s just that he hopes that the order does not take more than the serving time that was promised, because he could not keep his wife waiting for her burritos any time longer.

Just then, Fiona and Owen entered the store. Owen spotted Jeremy seated by a table close to the cashier and told Fiona, “It’s Jeremy!”

“Do you want us to accompany him?” Fiona asked Owen, unsure of whether hanging out with the Leader of the Opposition was a good idea

“Well, why don’t we ask him if he wants our company?” Owen asked

“Good, we should ask him first.” Fiona said, “We don’t want to come off as awkward when we suddenly take our seats near him.”

Fiona and Owen then walked towards Jeremy’s table and Owen greeted the Leader of the Opposition, saying, “Hello Jeremy! It’s nice to see you around!”

Jeremy looked up and saw one of the journalists who stood by him, along with the former Special Adviser of the Prime Minister. He could not help but wonder why the two are going out together.

“Oh, hello there Owen!” Jeremy said as he looked up to Owen, “…and Fiona!” he added as he turned his attention to Fiona

“Owen and I were thinking if we could accompany you here.” Fiona told Jeremy, “Not that I’m planning to join the Labour Party. That’s absolutely not what I’m here for.” She added with conviction.

“Oh, of course, you two can sit with me.” Jeremy said

“So, what brings you here?” Owen asked Jeremy

“Laura wanted an authentic burrito.” Jeremy told Owen and Fiona, “and I’m getting her an authentic burrito.”

“Must be the cravings, huh?” Fiona asked

“Exactly.” Jeremy responded

“Well, how is Laura doing?” Owen asked

“She’s doing fine.” Jeremy told Owen, “She and the baby are in good health, and she’s still running her business even while being pregnant. She’s unstoppable, really!”

“Have you decided on a name for the baby yet?” Fiona asked. She had always wanted to find out what Jeremy and Laura were planning to name the baby.

“Camila Harriet.” Jeremy told Fiona, “We’re naming her Camila Harriet!”

“That’s so adorable!” Fiona remarked

“We wanted to name her after Camila Cabello and Harriet Harman.” Jeremy said, “Because of the things they have done to make people’s lives better.”

“I’m sure they’ll be glad to know that you have named your daughter after them.” Owen said

“I’m sure they will be.” Jeremy spoke, smiling afterwards

“If you do not mind, Owen and I are going to order some food.” Fiona told Jeremy

“I don’t mind at all!” Jeremy told Fiona, then, Fiona and Owen stood up and walked up to the cashier to place their orders.

* * *

The Mays were still at the living room, having some snacks after Theresa craved for some crisps. Philip had cooked the crisps himself and Theresa was delighted with the crisps that he cooked for her. Hilda found the crisps delicious as well.

“Vous deux aimez les chips, n'est-ce pas?” Philip said as he laid his palm on top of Theresa’s belly, noting the fact that Theresa was having cravings for the crisps, which also means that the babies wanted them too.

Theresa could not help but chuckle at her husband trying to talk to their unborn children in French, “Of course they love your crisps!” she told him, “and I take that you’re trying to make our babies bilingual?”

“Yup, I want our babies to grow bilingual!” Philip said

“I know.” Theresa said with a giggle, “You did the same with Hilda and now look, our sweet girl can speak some French.”

“Ces chips sont délicieuses!” Hilda piped up as she took another bite of the crisp

“See!” Theresa told Philip

“I told you I’m a good French teacher.” Philip said, laughing, “I got it from my mum!”

“C'est assez évident, mon amour.” Theresa told Philip

Philip could not help but smile at his wife’s remark.

Theresa then rested her palm on top of her belly and said, “Ton papa et moi prendrons toujours bien soin de toi deux.”

“Nous vous aimons tellement deux!” Philip added

Theresa’s phone then rang and when she picked up to answer it, Amber was on the other end of the line. She was wondering what caused Amber to call her up.

“Yes, this is the Prime Minister speaking.” Theresa said, “What do you need, Amber?”

“Well, I was grabbing some snacks from Chilango in Islington earlier on the way to a Conservative association event there, and I spotted your former Special Adviser dining out with Owen Jones from The Guardian.” Amber told Theresa, “I take that your family is still close to Fiona, so I believe that you might want to check on Fiona.”

“Oh, Fiona and Owen spent months together working on a piece for The Spectator magazine about small businesses and their experiences after Article 50 came into full effect.” Theresa told Amber, “Perhaps they’re planning on working on another piece.”

“They seemed to be a bit affectionate with each other!” Amber told Theresa, “are you sure they are not dating?”

“I don’t think Fiona is looking to date someone, and Owen is gay.” Theresa explained to Amber, “Perhaps they’re being affectionate as friends.”

“If that’s the case, I hope they don’t end up having a falling out.” Amber said, “I’m concerned, given that Fiona’s one of us and Owen sides with the opposition.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Amber.” Theresa told Amber, “You can be friends with people from other parties and find the things that you have more in common with them.”

“You’re right, Prime Minister.” Amber said, “In that case, I hope they’ll have a strong friendship.”

“I hope for the same too.” Theresa replied

Then, Theresa and Amber said their goodbyes to each other before ending the call. When the call had ended, Theresa could not believe what she had just heard – that Fiona and Owen were much closer than they already were the last time that she saw them, which was back in Edinburgh a few months back while she went shopping with her husband and daughter.

“Well, looks like Fiona and Owen have grown much closer to each other.” Theresa told Philip, “Amber saw them having snacks together at Chilango in Islington.”

“That’s great to hear!” Philip told Theresa

“Is Aunt Fiona with a friend?” Hilda asked Theresa

“Yes sweetie, she and her friend went out for snacks.” Theresa explained to Hilda

“That’s great!” Hilda told her mother, “I want to have snacks with my friends too!”

“I’m sure we can arrange that.” Theresa told Hilda

“So, why did Amber call you up about Fiona and Owen?” Philip asked Theresa

“She’s just concerned about them.” Theresa told Philip, “Particularly because Fiona’s a Conservative and Owen’s Labourite.”

“I’m sure Fiona can handle having Owen as a friend well.” Philip remarked, “Perhaps it would be Fiona who would finally put some sense to him and get him to call out Jeremy Corbyn without flip-flopping like he always does.”

“Fiona would definitely be capable of that, love.” Theresa said, “In a few months time, she might be able to convince Owen to get Jeremy Corbyn to enact actual positive change in the Labour party. Fiona just has that quality of getting people to stand up for what is right.”

“I do hope she’ll get Owen to stand for what is right.” Philip said

“I do hope for that as well.” Theresa added

Theresa and Philip then switched on the television just in time for BBC News at Six. They were in shock when they saw one of the headlines being flashed on screen.

“Duke of York to remarry Sarah, The Duchess of York” the headline on the screen read

“So Prince Andrew and Sarah are remarrying?” Theresa said as she watched the television screen

“Well, he’s past the fifth in line on the succession. He can do that even without the Queen’s approval.” Philip remarked

“I know, but this soon!” Theresa remarked, “Well, I do wish the best for them on their remarriage. For all the efforts they’ve done to rekindle their marriage, they deserve this.”

Theresa’s phone then rang. Melania Knauss was calling her.

“Oh, hello Melania!” Theresa said, answering the phone, “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great!” Melania said with joy, “If you’re watching the news right now, Prince Andrew and Sarah’s remarriage has been announced. I’m doing Sarah and Prince Andrew’s wardrobe, as well as the wardrobe of the entourage!”

“That’s amazing!” Theresa remarked, “I’m so proud of you! You’ve only been here in the UK for under a year and you’re doing so much already!”

“I thought I should let you know this as well,” Melania said, “They’ve considered Hilda as one of the flower girls!”

Theresa’s eyes widened when she heard those words – _they’ve considered Hilda as one of the flower girls!_

“Hilda, did you hear that?” Theresa said, turning towards Hilda with an overjoyed look on her face, “You might be a flower girl to Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding!”

Hilda jumped in joy after hearing the good news from her mother, asking afterwards, “Mummy, what is a flower girl?”

“Oh sweetie, a flower girl carries a basket full of flower petals during a wedding and throws bits of the petals along the aisle.” Theresa explained, “You get to wear a gown like a princess too. You’ll love it!”

“Wow!” Hilda said in awe at the thought of throwing flower petals around while wearing a gown

“You heard that, our daughter’s going to be in the next royal wedding!” Philip said with pride

“Don’t get so excited yet, Philip.” Theresa said with a laugh, “Melania said there’s only plans of it, not that it’s official that Hilda’s going to be one of the flower girls.”

“Still!” Philip said, “The mere fact that they’re considering Hilda means that there’s a high chance for her to actually be one of the flower girls.”

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed for that, love!” Theresa told Philip

“I take it that you are all so happy with the good news.” Melania told Theresa over the phone, “Don’t worry, I’ll be praying that Hilda does become one of the flower girls.”

“That’s so nice of you, Melania!” Theresa said, “I hope you’ll do well as the official designer for the royal wedding. Good luck and God Bless to you!”

“Thank you, Prime Minister!” Melania said before ending the call

The Mays then turned their attention back to the television screen where the news report of Prince Andrew and Sarah, the Duchess of York’s marriage was still ongoing

“His Royal Highness the Duke of York and Sarah, the Duchess of York have made the announcement of their plan to remarry during an interview that took place during their visit to a rehearsal of the English National Ballet. Melania Knauss, an independent fashion designer, has been chosen by the couple as their official designer for the wedding. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the couple’s daughters, have also congratulated their parents on their decision to remarry. We have sent our royal correspondent to ask people about this news, and here is Jennie Bond at St. James’ Park, Jennie…” Sophie Raworth, one of the presenters of BBC News at Six said

 _“_ Sophie, the mood here is generally a mix of festivity and hesitance over the news of Prince Andrew remarrying Sarah, the Duchess of York.” Jennie went on, “I’ve interviewed some people regarding this. Most were welcoming to the remarriage, even wishing them all the best. Some, well, have cast doubts over Prince Andrew and Sarah’s rekindling of their marriage.”

“Well, their daughters are okay with it, they are okay with it. It should work well!” Philip reacted

“I can understand that some members of the public are still doubtful about Prince Andrew and Sarah being married again,” Theresa said, “But for the sake of the couple, and for the sake of their children who support them, they should be supportive as well. The support of the public for their remarriage would go a long way in helping their remarriage become a strong and stable one.”

“I for one, am ready to offer them with marriage advice should they need it.” Philip told Theresa

“I am ready to do the same thing for them as well.” Theresa said, “They could use some advice from us, and from other couples who have strong marriages, like Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh.”

“They need all the support they could get for this.” Philip said, “This remarriage is not only going to make history for the monarchy, but this remarriage is also proof that there is a lot of good things in this world!”

“That’s right!” Theresa said, “Prince Andrew and Sarah have all my support for this!”

Theresa and Philip could not help but feel amazed. They witnessed Prince Andrew and Sarah’s marriage getting rekindled within their lifetime. Who would have thought that this was even going to happen?

Hilda on the other hand, feels excited at the prospect of becoming a flower girl.

All is good on that day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> You two like the crisps, don't you? = Vous deux aimez les chips, n'est-ce pas?  
> Ces chips sont délicieuses! = These crisps are delicious!  
> C'est assez évident, mon amour = It's pretty obvious, my love  
> Ton papa et moi prendrons toujours bien soin de toi deux = Your daddy and I will always take good care of the both of you  
> Nous vous aimons tellement deux! = We love you so much!


	36. Thirty-Nine Years

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip May celebrate their thirty-ninth wedding anniversary and talk about what made their wedding anniversary that year a special one.

_September 7, 2019 – Maidenhead_

“I’ve got a surprise for you, love.”

Theresa gave Philip a gift box, and when Philip received it, the box was a bit heavy. Then Philip unwrapped his present, carefully pulling out the ribbon before taking away the gift wrapper. He then lifted the lid of the box and he was greeted by the sight of a pile of scripts used for the first and second seasons of The Crown – complete with autographs from the cast of the TV series’ first and second seasons.

“This…this is amazing!” Philip said in awe as he skimmed through the pile of scripts, “How did you get these?” he asked Theresa

“I had to ask Claire Foy and Matt Smith to help me get those scripts.” Theresa explained, “and they were more than happy to assist.”

“I’ve been looking for these!” Philip told Theresa, “eBay wasn’t much of a help, all they had were signed photos of the cast but not these.”

“I’m glad I’ve got you those, love.” Theresa said, “Happy anniversary!”

“Now, I’ve got something for you too!” Philip said as he gave Theresa a gift box

Theresa then opened the gift box that Philip handed to her. She opened the gift box, carefully pulling out the ribbon before taking away the gift wrapper. Then, she lifted the lid of the box and saw a scrapbook inside the box. She then opened the scrapbook and on the first page, it read:

_All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change._

_-James 1:17_

“This…this is beautiful!” Theresa said as she looked at the scrapbook with tears of joy in her eyes

“We made a scrapbook for Hilda when she was a baby,” Philip said, “And I figured that I should give you a scrapbook for our wedding anniversary this year so that we could make a scrapbook for the twins.”

“Did you pick and write the bible verse on the scrapbook yourself?” Theresa asked Philip

“I did, and I think it’s very accurate to describe our twins, and even Hilda.” Philip said, “As for writing the bible verse that I picked, I had to take a crash course for calligraphy to do that you know! If reading calligraphy tutorials online counts as taking a calligraphy crash course, that is.”

“Well then, I think putting the first ultrasound picture of our twins in this scrapbook is in order!” Theresa told Philip

“But before that, I’ve got one more surprise for you!” Philip told Theresa

Philip then gave Theresa another gift box, which Theresa unwrapped after putting the scrapbook aside. When she opened the gift box, it contained a shoe box, and when she opened the lid of the box, she saw a pair of leopard print flats in it.

“Those are maternity shoes, I figured out that you’ll be needing them as your pregnancy progresses.” Philip told Theresa, “and I know very well that even if you’ll be switching your regular flats with maternity flats soon, you’ll still want to have amazing looking shoes.”

“I was thinking of buying maternity shoes in a month or two, but looks like you’ve gone ahead of me!” Theresa said with a chuckle as she tried on the shoes, “They’re a size bigger than my shoe size though, which should be useful for when I reach that point of my pregnancy when my feet starts to swell and all.”

“I’m glad you liked those.” Philip said, “They look so adorable on you!”

“Thank you, Philip!” Theresa said, “You never fail to amaze me!”

* * *

Theresa was now working on the scrapbook that Philip gave her earlier. She attached the ultrasound photo of the twins on the scrapbooking frame before attaching the said frame to the scrapbook page. Then she wrote “Our first month in mummy’s tummy” as the caption with a calligraphy pen.

“Theresa, why don’t we put “They look like beans according to their big sister” there too?” Philip suggested with a chuckle

“Mummy, Daddy, what are you two doing?” Hilda asked as she entered her mother’s study in their home in Maidenhead

“Oh, we’re making a scrapbook for the babies.” Theresa told Hilda as she turned to face her. Philip faced her as well.

“Can I see?” Hilda asked with curiosity

Philip then lifted Hilda up so she could see the scrapbook that he and Theresa were working on better. Hilda was amused with what she saw and then she told her mother, “Mummy, that looks cute!”

“Thank you, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda

* * *

Theresa and Philip were now sitting up in bed, just before going to sleep. Philip put his palm on top of Theresa’s palm which was on top of her belly.

“We’ve waited thirty-eight years for a pregnancy to happen.” Theresa said, “Thirty-eight years.”

“and we couldn’t be more happier!” Philip told Theresa

“Better late than never, they say.” Theresa said, “The long wait was worth it. I’m pregnant not just with one, but two babies!”

“Guess you could say that makes our wedding anniversary this year special?” Philip asked

“Exactly!” Theresa said, “Finding out that we’re expecting twins on our wedding anniversary month makes our wedding anniversary this year special.”

“I love you Theresa.” Philip said to Theresa

“I love you too, Philip.” Theresa told Philip

Then they shared a chaste kiss.


	37. Royal Audiences and Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May goes on her weekly audience with the Queen and Hilda asks her questions about her father’s hair and meeting the Queen afterwards.

_September 11, 2019 – Buckingham Palace_

“Your Majesty, the Prime Minister.” The Equerry said, announcing the arrival of Prime Minister Theresa May into the Queen’s office. The Queen has a weekly audience with the Prime Minister every Wednesday at 6:30 in the evening.

Theresa walked into the Queen’s office, ready to update her what Her Majesty’s Government has been up to, as well as other matters that the Queen may wish to discuss with her.

“Take a seat, Prime Minister.” The Queen told Theresa, gesturing towards the chair beside her chair

Theresa and the Queen then took their seats on their respective chairs, signifying the beginning of the weekly audience.

“One would like to ask for updates on what the government is currently working on.” The Queen said

“Your Majesty, the deployment of the baby boxes to hospitals across the United Kingdom has commenced,” Theresa spoke, “we have also ensured that the suppliers of the items included in the baby boxes, as well as the boxes itself, are British suppliers. This is to keep with the government’s vision to give British businesses, no matter their size, a chance to play a role in strengthening our economy.”

“One is impressed by the work you and your cabinet have done,” the Queen spoke, “One believes that it is important to give mothers a head start whenever they have children, furthermore, one is impressed that you have decided to include those who have had their children through adoption in that baby box scheme.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Theresa said, “I appreciate your praise towards what I, and my cabinet ministers, have been working on.”

“Now, one has to discuss with you another matter,” The Queen said, “We were not able to meet for a royal audience last week because of an engagement I had to attend to in Edinburgh. While I was out on that engagement, I received news that Andrew and Sarah have announced that they will marry again. Philip has been a bit apprehensive over it, despite the fact that Andrew’s outside the first six people to be in line to the throne. I on the other hand, believe that if Andrew and Sarah are truly sincere in their intention to marry again, they should push through with marrying again. What are your thoughts on this, Prime Minister?”

Theresa may have opinions on events surrounding the Royal Family, but she isn’t so vocal about such opinions. Not that she doesn’t care about the Royal Family, of course. The last time that the Queen had asked for her opinion for something that was going on in the Royal Family was with Harry and Meghan’s wedding, but vouching her opinion for that was easy for her, given that Harry and Meghan were not in a situation compared to Andrew and Sarah, who once married, and are now divorced, until the day of their remarriage. Theresa wanted to be of help to the Queen on her concerns regarding Andrew and Sarah remarrying, but she also does not want to offend her – given that she knew very well that Andrew and Sarah divorcing was something that the Queen and especially the Duke of Edinburgh, did not like.

“Your Majesty,” Theresa said, “I am glad that Andrew and Sarah have made the decision last week to remarry, and I do hope that their marriage would last much longer this time. I do hope as well that they have decided to remarry out of love. There is much potential for them both to have a good marriage this time, especially if they receive moral support from the married people in the Royal Family.”

“One has been thinking that perhaps, Edward and Sophie could give some advice to those two as they work towards getting married again,” the Queen spoke, “Edward and Sophie have had a good marriage, still going strong until now. Of my four children, Edward is the only one who has never gone through a divorce. Sure, Edward and Sophie have faced problems before, but not problems that went to the point of resorting to separation or divorce.”

“I agree with you, Your Majesty.” Theresa said, “Edward and Sophie may be the best people who could advise Andrew and Sarah as they get married again. I have seen how Edward and Sophie have stayed strong, and my husband and I have so much respect for them.”

“One must say that you and your husband are an admirable married couple. Staying strong thirty-nine years and onwards!” the Queen said, “One wishes that more members of her family would do the same.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty! Those are such kind words and my husband and I will surely keep our marriage as strong as ever.” Theresa said, “and, I’m sure that you’ll have more members of your family having strong marriages, Your Majesty.”

Theresa and the Queen discussed more things during the weekly audience – such as updates on the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit trade deals, and updates on the Prime Minister’s talks with the First Minister of Scotland, who has been trying to start another independence referendum.

* * *

_10 Downing Street_

Hilda put Larry on top of Philip’s bald spot. She had been pointing out earlier about how he has a bald spot, after Philip showed her old pictures of him and Theresa, where Philip still had a lot of hair in the pictures.

“Now you have hair again, daddy!” Hilda said, proud of the job she has done

Larry then purred, as if to say, “Yeah, this is my new job now.”

Theresa arrived home from her weekly audience with the Queen and she was greeted with the sight of Hilda and Philip sitting on the living room couch, with Larry on top of Philip’s head.

Philip then turned to Theresa, telling her, “Look at my hair love, it purrs!”

Larry then purred.

“I’ve noticed.” Theresa said with a giggle, “I see that Hilda has covered up your bald spot with the cat.”

“He’s not just Chief Mouser,” Philip said, “He’s now my hair as well.” He added with a giggle

“Mummy!” Hilda said as she hugged her mother, who took a seat on the living room couch. Theresa then hugged her back.

“I showed her photos of you and I when we were younger.” Philip said, “and she’s asking where all my hair went, and that’s how Larry ended up on top of my head.”

“Oh Hilda,” Theresa said, “Yes, your daddy used to have a lot of hair, but some people lose a bit of their hair when they grow older, and your daddy is one of those people.”

“Daddy had fluffy hair, like Larry.” Hilda remarked

“I know!” Theresa spoke, remembering those days when Philip still had a lot of hair and needed to use a hairbrush to brush his hair, “In fact, his hair was so fluffy that he had to use a hairbrush.”

“Now I just use a comb.” Philip said, making a pout, “because I’ve lost hair.”

“It’s alright Philip, I still love you!” Theresa told Philip, planting a kiss on his cheek

“You’re so sweet!” Philip told Theresa, kissing her on her cheek

“Mind if I talk to the babies?” Philip said, referring to their babies that Theresa is pregnant with

“I don’t mind at all!” Theresa said, “Go ahead!”

Philip put his palm on Theresa’s belly and looked towards it. Then he started to speak, “I hope you two had fun today. I heard you two went to visit the Queen with your mummy. You two are so lucky, your mummy and I never got to visit the Queen until we were already grown up, yet you two have visited the Queen even before you two were born.”

“Yup, our babies are indeed lucky!” Theresa told Philip

“Remember when you took Hilda with you to an audience with the Queen a few times when she was a baby?” Philip asked as he sat up

“It’s a good thing that Hilda was well-behaved the entire time when I took her with me to the weekly audiences those few times.” Theresa told Philip

“So I got to visit the Queen when I was a baby?” Hilda asked

“Yes sweetie!” Theresa said, “and the Queen found you adorable.”

“Will we get to visit her again?” Hilda asked Theresa, “I had fun when we visited her in her Scotland castle!” she said, referring to when they spent the weekend with the Queen at Balmoral last weekend.

“Of course sweetie, we’ll get to visit the Queen again.” Theresa told Hilda.


	38. A Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Hilda surprise Philip for his birthday with the help of his secretary and his coworkers.

_September 18, 2019_

Philip May was doing some paperwork when his secretary, Brendan approached him. Brendan then told him, “Boss, they need you in the boardroom right now. There’s an emergency meeting.”

“Thank you for letting me know.” Philip told Brendan, who took his hand and dragged him towards the boardroom.

Philip wondered what the emergency meeting was about this time? The last time an emergency meeting had been called, it was because of reports that some managers have been found to mislead clients to invest with the company.

Ryan, a coworker of Philip peered through the door from inside the board room, then telling everyone else inside, “He’s coming!” when he saw that Brendan and Philip were running closer to the board room. Clarissa, another coworker of Philip then switched the lights to the board room off.

When Brendan opened the door to the board room, Arthur, another coworker of Philip set off the confetti cannon in his hands as the lights were switched back on.

“Surprise!” everybody in the board room said.

Philip watched in awe as he saw his coworkers surprise him for his birthday. What put him in even more awe was the mere fact that his wife and daughter were there too.

“Happy Birthday, Philip!” Theresa said as she walked up to Philip, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek afterwards.

“Thank you, love!” Philip said as he hugged Theresa back, kissing her on the cheek afterwards.

“Happy Birthday Daddy!” Hilda said as she jumped up with her arms outstretched, which she usually does when she wants to be carried by her mother or her father.

Philip then carried Hilda and said, “Thank you, sweetie!”

“Mummy and I prepared this!” Hilda said, referring to the surprise party that’s happening as of the moment.

“I had a little help from your assistant and your coworkers in planning this.” Theresa said, “We worked on this since last week, and we made sure that you wouldn’t know a thing about it until today.”

“So that was why you came here for a meeting last week.” Philip said

“There was really a meeting Philip. The Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and I were here to meet with your bosses, and afterwards, I decided to speak to Brendan, Clarissa, Ryan and Arthur.” Theresa told Philip

“I’m so touched with what you did, love!” Philip told Theresa, “I really am!”

“That’s because I love you so much!” Theresa said, to the collective aww-ing of Philip’s secretary and Philip’s coworkers.

“We love you, daddy!” Hilda told Philip

“Daddy loves you and your mummy too!” Philip replied

“Now, who would like to say grace before we start eating?” Theresa asked

“I’ll do it!” Brendan said

Then, Brendan proceeded to pray, “For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful.”

“Amen.” Everyone said in unison

After saying grace, Brendan then brought Philip’s birthday cake from the board room table to Philip. The cake was a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, with a candle on top.

“Hilda and I baked the cake for you, love.” Theresa told Philip, “Now, it’s time for you to make your birthday wish.”

“We baked the cupcakes too!” Hilda piped up

“That’s sweet, you two!” Philip told Theresa and Hilda

“Arthur, light the candle, will you!” Clarissa told Arthur as she lightly pushed his back

“Right away, Clarissa.” Arthur said as he took out his lighter and used it to light up the candle on Philip’s birthday cake

The entire board room fell silent as Philip was about to make his birthday wish. Then, Philip blew his candle and the entire room said in unison, “Happy Birthday!”

The cake was then set down on the board room table. Apart from cake, the other food items on the table were cupcakes and chips, and cans of Irn Bru were on the table as well, along with paper cups, paper plates and wooden forks.

“Would you like to help daddy slice the cake, Hilda?” Philip asked Hilda, who was still in his arms

“Yes daddy!” Hilda responded

“Alright then!” Philip said, “Time to slice the cake!”

Hilda, with the help of Philip, started to slice the carrot cake, taking care that the slices are equal in size. After the cake was sliced, Theresa announced, “Now, it’s time for us to eat!”

Everyone in the board room then started to eat, and the festivities went on with conversations and Hilda trying to make everyone in the room laugh once in a while.

* * *

_10 Downing Street_

“Come on daddy, open our present!” Hilda told Philip, after handing her a gift box with a blue bow. The gift box contained a gift that Theresa and Hilda bought for him.

“Well then, here goes!” Philip said as he unwrapped the gift box. When the last piece of the wrapper came off, the gift was unveiled – a box set of history documentaries about cricket and a leopard print necktie.

“BBC’s The Best of Cricket History.” Philip said, reading out loud the name of the box set, “Looks like we’ve got something new to watch together!”

“I’m looking forward to it, love!” Theresa told Philip

“This leopard print necktie is awesome!” Philip said, bringing the necktie out of the gift box

“Hilda saw that while we were passing by the High Street when we were out shopping for some gifts for you.” Theresa told Philip, “She wanted me to get it for you, and I figured out that it would be a good addition to your wardrobe. After all, you’ve got leopard print glasses too!”

“Point taken, love!” Philip told Theresa, “and by the way, having mushroom risotto for dinner was a good call!”

“I figured out that we would be cooking that for dinner since today is your birthday, and mushroom risotto is one of your favorites!” Theresa told Philip

“How did your audience with the Queen go?” Philip asked Theresa. Theresa had gone to her weekly audience with the Queen before she and Philip prepared dinner for that night.

“We were talking about what the government has been doing, as usual.” Theresa said, “and Her Majesty also would like to extend her birthday greeting to you.”

“Do tell her that I appreciate her birthday greeting.” Philip said

“I will let her know about that, love.” Theresa replied

“Now, shall we start watching the documentaries on the boxset?” Philip asked, referring to the BBC The Best of Cricket History boxset that he has received as a birthday present.

“Well, let’s go ahead!” Theresa said

That night, they watched the first documentary on the boxset which was Empire of Cricket, BBC’s four-part documentary on the history of cricket in the four leading nations in Test Cricket.

* * *

After watching the documentary and putting Hilda in her bed, Theresa and Philip were now about to sleep. It was always a nighttime routine for them to talk to the unborn babies that Theresa is carrying before going to sleep.

“Daddy hopes that you two will grow healthy in there.” Philip said, talking to Theresa’s belly, where the unborn babies were in, “and I hope you two liked all the food we had today!”

“Oh, they surely liked all the food we’ve eaten today!” Theresa told Philip, “I had a slice of carrot cake, two cupcakes and a plate of crisps at your surprise party, and tonight, I had a large serving of mushroom risotto!”

“Looks like those babies are going to grow healthy!” Philip remarked, “Just as it should be!”

“After watching the first episode of Empire of Cricket today, I’ve always wondered if we should consider teaching Hilda to play cricket in the future.” Theresa mused

“Well, if she’s interested in playing cricket, we could do that.” Philip said, “Our cricket equipment has been lying idle in the storage room for years and it would be nice if we get to use them again.”

“For now, we’ll let her watch the rest of Empire of Cricket, then if she expresses interest in playing cricket, we can teach her the basics.” Theresa told Philip

“That’s a great idea!” Philip agreed with glee

“Now, it’s time for us to sleep.” Theresa said, “We’ve got another amazing day tomorrow!”

“That’s right!” Philip said to Theresa

“Good night, Philip.” Theresa told Philip, kissing his forehead, “Sweet dreams.”

“Good night, Theresa.” Philip told Theresa, kissing her forehead, “Sweet dreams to you, too.”                      


	39. Conservative Party Conference 2019

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip May take Hilda to the Conservative Party Conference and they attend a reception on the first day of the conference where Theresa makes a speech. Meanwhile, Fiona Hill and Owen Jones cross paths with each other at the party conference, where Fiona takes Owen to a reception.

_September 29, 2019 – Manchester Central_

It was the first day of the Conservative Party Conference of 2019 and the people attending the conference have already started arriving. Theresa and Philip May arrived that day with their daughter, Hilda. They had always brought their daughter along with them to the conference ever since they had her.

Hilda watched in awe as she and her parents entered the Manchester Central, the venue of the Conservative Party Conference of 2019. There were booths set up across the exhibition area of the conference venue, and they passed by function rooms where fringe events and receptions were being held. On this particular day, Theresa was set to speak on a reception hosted by Pro-Life Feminists in the Conservative Party.

“Mummy is going to speak at a reception in a while,” Theresa told Hilda, “Would you like to come along?”

“What is a reception?” Hilda asked her mother

“It’s a social event where people come together to celebrate what they stand for.” Theresa explained, “It’s like a party in a way.”

“Like birthday parties?” Hilda asked, her eyes lighting up

“Something like that.” Theresa replied

“Great! I want to go!” Hilda piped up

“Okay then, Hilda is coming to the reception, Philip.” Theresa told her husband

“Looks like our daughter is already interested with the conference at such a young age!” Philip remarked, “Just like her mummy!”

“And her daddy, too!” Theresa said

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then proceeded to the function room where the reception of the Pro-Life Feminists was taking place. They were greeted by the organizers of the reception, who showed them to their seats.

“Once again, it’s an honor to have you and your family here, Prime Minister.” One of the organizers told Theresa, “Thank you and to your family for coming over to our reception!”

“You’re welcome, Patricia!” Theresa said, “The Conservative Party is blessed to have people like you being active in the party. Keep up the good work!”

“Thank you, Prime Minister! I really appreciate it!” Patricia, one of the organizers told Theresa, “Now, if there’s anything that you three need, please let me know. If you will excuse me, I’ll just be joining my co-organizers over there.” She added, pointing out to where her co-organizers are standing

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then nodded in acknowledgement and then Patricia went off to join her co-organizers who were standing near the stage of the function room.

* * *

Fiona Hill was walking along the exhibition area of the Conservative Party Conference. She still had some time to spare before the reception that she was going to attend would start, so she decided to take a look at the booths that were set up at the Conservative Party Conference of that year. As she was walking by, someone bumped into her by accident.

“I’m sorry, miss.” The person who bumped Fiona told her

“Owen!” Fiona said, upon recognizing who the person who bumped into her by accident was, “Are you here to cover the conference?”

“Yup!” Owen Jones told Fiona, “I’ve been doing it every year since I got into the media.”

“So, are you busy right now?” Fiona asked Owen

“Not quite.” Owen responded, “Just browsing the booths and interviewing some people. I’m not in a rush with this whole coverage thing.”

“Well then, I’m heading to the reception of the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party!” Fiona said, “Would you like to join me?”

“Of course, I’d love to!” Owen told Fiona with glee. He wanted to attend the reception as soon as he’s heard of it from Fiona because he was actually curious about the existence of Pro-Life Feminists. He’s heard of them from Ireland’s Abortion Referendum, but he has yet to see them in real life.

Fiona and Owen then made their way to the function room where the reception of the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party was taking place. When they got there, they were able to find themselves a seat that was neither too near nor too far from the stage.

“Now, we have a very special guest to this reception,” The host of the reception said, “She is among those who is responsible for implementing the nationwide Baby Box scheme, and she has been an ally to our cause since we started. Everybody put your hands together for Prime Minister Theresa May, the leader of the Conservative Party!”

The function room erupted in cheers and applauses when the Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party, Theresa May, stood up and made her way up to the stage in order to give her speech for the reception. Owen could not help but watch in awe, because on the first day of the conference, he was already able to see the Leader of the Conservative Party right away. He hadn’t been lucky in the past few conferences, where he didn’t get access to a reception that the Leader of the Conservative Party was attending until the second, third or fourth day of the conference.

“Thank you everyone!” Theresa said as the cheers and applauses stopped, “It’s an honor to speak at this reception for the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party. The Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party is a relatively young group, but despite that, it has already done a lot for the Conservative Party. Your group has been a major asset in shaping the party’s policy on ensuring that women in this country get to live a dignified life. Most recently, the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party is one of the groups that have steadfastly lobbied to the government for the Baby Box Scheme to be introduced nationwide, and I’m glad to say, your group has done a terrific job at that. The Baby Box Scheme that this Conservative government has introduced has been a success…”

“I didn’t know that the Pro-Life Feminists in this party were one of the major driving forces behind the nationwide Baby Box scheme.” Owen told Fiona in awe

“I was among those who joined the group in lobbying for the Baby Box scheme to be implemented.” Fiona told Owen, “It’s amazing really, that we were able to pull this off. The Prime Minister is really supportive of us!”

“You guys are actually amazing, quite far from what the regressive left portrays your group to be.” Owen said, “Not that I’m part of the regressive left, but they have portrayed Pro-Life Feminists so bad, to the point that my fellow progressives on the left actually buy it, as for me, I disbelieved the idea of Pro-Life Feminists, but not in the same way that the regressive left disbelieves it.”

“Well, the radical feminists, which are on the progressive left, and us Pro-Life feminists have a lot in common, way more than we think. Perhaps the only thing that sets us apart from them is our view on abortion, but on most matters, we are more or less on the same page.” Fiona explained to Owen

“Well, once again, we’ve got more in common!” Owen remarked

Fiona smiled at Owen in agreement.

“…I wish the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party success in its future endeavors. Always know that I am an ally in your group’s advocacy to give British women dignified lives and that you’ll always have a place in the Conservative Party. Thank you!” Theresa said, ending her speech.

The people attending the reception cheered and clapped for Theresa once again after she finished her speech. Theresa then went back to her seat to join her husband and her daughter, who were proud of the speech that she made.

“Love, you did a great job with your speech!” Philip told Theresa

“Thank you love!” Theresa said, hugging her husband, “I couldn’t have done it without inspiration from you and our daughter.”

“Your speech was great, mummy!” Hilda told Theresa

“Thank you, sweetie!” Theresa told her daughter, “You and your daddy inspired me to do well with that speech, you know.”

“I really hope that this group in the Conservative Party gains more prominence.” Philip told Theresa

“I hope for the same thing too, love.” Theresa told Philip, “Pro-Life Feminism needs to gain momentum in the Conservative Party. It’s the one thing that helps this party become a reckoning force in improving the lives of women across the country.”

* * *

After the reception of the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party was done, Theresa, Philip and Hilda decided to check out the booths that were being put up at the exhibition area. They were visiting the booth of the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party at this point when Fiona Hill and Owen Jones found themselves visiting the same booth.

“So this is the booth of the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party.” Fiona told Owen as they were nearing the booth, “You might want to interview people at the booth. Don’t worry, they don’t bite!”

“That’s a good idea.” Owen told Fiona, “I’m going to interview people at the booth.”

Owen then came up to the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party booth and then said, “Hello, I’m Owen Jones from the Guardian. Would you mind being interviewed?” to one of the women manning the booth.

“Ah, Owen Jones!” The woman that Owen spoke to said, “You’re that Labourite journalist right?”

“Y-yeah, I’m a Labourite.” Owen told the woman, “But I come in peace.”

“Owen, Owen. Lighten up!” The woman said, “We won’t bite!”

“Sorry about that, Gladys!” Fiona told the woman that Owen was speaking to, “It’s only Owen’s first time to see a Pro-Life Feminist.”

“We’re not mythical creatures, Owen.” Gladys told Owen while laughing, “We’re real.”

“I-I honestly just can’t believe I’ve seen a Pro-Life Feminist in real life.” Owen told Gladys, “Well, anyway, if you do not mind, I’ve got a few questions, that is, if you are willing to be interviewed!”

“I’m willing to be interviewed.” Gladys said with a smile, “Now, what are your questions?”

“Aunt Fiona!” A voice belonging to a little girl piped up

Fiona turned around and found Hilda making her way towards her with a toothy smile and open arms. Fiona and Hilda then hugged each other and she told her, “Hilda! I’m so happy to see you!”

“I’m happy to see you too, Aunt Fiona!” Hilda told Fiona

Fiona then carried Hilda and walked up to Theresa and Philip. It always made her happy when she got to see her former boss and her family. Owen leaned back and watched as Fiona spoke to Theresa and Philip, while carrying Hilda. He could not help but smile at Fiona, who was very happy to see the people who were like family to her.

“I see that you’ve brought your Labourite friend along.” Theresa told Fiona

“Actually, he bumped into me earlier today.” Fiona said with a giggle, “and I dragged him, well not really, with me to the Pro-Life Feminists of the Conservative Party reception.”

“and now he’s interviewing someone from the advocacy group.” Philip remarked, “Seems to me like he’s interested in what they stand for.”

“And he is even listening intently to what Gladys has to say.” Theresa remarked as well

“Oh, he really is interested in the advocacy group.” Fiona told Theresa and Philip, “he couldn’t believe it at first that Pro-Life Feminism was actually a thing, and now, he wants to learn more about it.”

“Why is Uncle Owen here?” Hilda asked Fiona

“He’s a journalist, so he comes here to interview people and do coverage of the conference.” Fiona explained as Hilda listened intently, “and he’s interviewing someone right now.”

“Is he like those people who interview mummy on the telly?” Hilda asked Fiona

“Yes Hilda, he’s like those people.” Fiona said, “But he does it for a newspaper, and not for television. So he writes down the interview later, and when he finishes covering the event, he writes an article for people to read.”

“So his interviews come out on the newspapers?” Hilda asked, “Like the ones that mummy and daddy read at breakfast?”

“Yes Hilda, his interviews come out on the newspapers, like the ones your mummy and daddy read at breakfast.” Fiona told Hilda

“I saw you do the same when you and Uncle Owen were in Scotland.” Hilda said referring to that time when her parents took her shopping with them in Edinburgh and Fiona and Owen were interviewing the shopkeepers of that shop they went to, “Are you a journalist too? Do your interviews come out on newspapers?”

“Yes, I’m a journalist too!” Fiona told Hilda, “I write for a magazine, it’s kinda like a newspaper but we usually release articles every month and not daily.”

“Are you a journalist at the telly too?” Hilda asked

“Oh, I used to work for Sky News.” Fiona told Hilda, “But I didn’t appear on the telly. I did work off-screen, I was an editor, so I helped the newscasters out with their reports. However, the work I did is just as important as the journalists who appear on the telly.”

Hilda listened in awe to what Fiona was saying. Then she told her, “You and Uncle Owen have fun jobs!”

Fiona could not help but giggle at what Hilda was telling her. There is fun in being a journalist, like getting better access to events and places.

“Looks like our daughter is having fun interviewing you!” Theresa remarked at Fiona

“She’s such an inquisitive girl, isn’t she?” Fiona told Theresa

“She is.” Theresa replied, “and it’s wonderful!”

“That’s our girl!” Philip told Hilda

“Did you have fun today, Hilda?” Theresa asked Hilda as she took her from Fiona’s arms

“Yes mummy!” Hilda replied, “Are we going to do more stuff like this?”

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda, “We’re going to go to more receptions, and we’re going to meet more amazing people!”

“I’m excited!” Hilda told her mother

“Your father and I are excited too!” Theresa told her daughter.

“Fiona, I’ve just finished the interview!” a male voice said.

“Oh, Owen’s finished his interview!” Fiona told Theresa, Philip and Hilda. Fiona then turned around to face Owen and asked him, “Well, how did the interview go?”

“It went well!” Owen told Fiona, “I’ve learned a lot from Gladys! Their advocacy seems to be very promising.”

“I’m glad you’ve said that.” Fiona told Owen, “So, do you have any plans after this?”

“None.” Owen replied.

“My family and I are heading out to see some tourist spots here in Manchester, would you two like to join us?” Theresa asked Fiona and Owen.

“Oh, we’d love to!” Fiona and Owen said in unison.

“Great! Let’s get going, then!” Theresa told Fiona and Owen.

The next few days were going to be an exciting day for the Mays, especially for Hilda who has been enjoying the activities that her parents took her to at the conference.


	40. Birthday Bash for the Prime Minister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May celebrates her birthday during the Conservative Party Conference of 2019 with her husband, daughter and her fellow Conservatives.

_October 1, 2019 – Manchester Central_

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were on their way to the Scottish Conservative Party reception when they noticed that it was unusually silent outside the function room, not to mention that the function room’s doors were closed. Usually, the doors to the function room would be open and people would be coming in and out and talking to each other.

“There must have been a mistake.” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, “They said the reception is at eleven in the morning, it’s ten thirty and there seems to be no one here.”

“I’m pretty sure people will be arriving soon, love.” Philip reassured Theresa, “Or perhaps the venue has been changed, or cancelled.”

“Well then, let’s take a look inside, just to be sure that there’s no venue change or cancellation here.” Theresa suggested.

Theresa then slowly pushed the door of the function room open, with Philip and Hilda following suit. All of a sudden, the lights switched on and people were shouting “Surprise!” as confetti fell from the ceiling.

“Happy Birthday Prime Minister!” Ruth Davidson said as she walked towards the Mays, with her daughter, Meredith in her arms

“Thank you, Ruth!” Theresa said as she looked in awe with what Ruth and the Scottish Conservatives have prepared for Theresa. The tables on the function room had shoe figurines as its centerpiece, along with a small pot of roses on each table.

“Now, can we all sing a happy birthday to the PM?” Ruth asked the people in the room, to which they responded to by singing Theresa a happy birthday, with Ruth leading.

“…Happy Birthday to you!” the people in the room sang

Ruth then showed Theresa, Philip and Hilda their seat, which was near the stage of the function room. Then, another surprise came – a birthday cake with blue and red roses made out of buttercream icing on top of it, and a cake topper that was a figurine of a pair of leopard print kitten heels. The candle on the birthday cake was on the cardboard base of the cake.

“You know, we couldn’t have thrown this surprise birthday bash without the help of your husband and daughter.” Ruth told Theresa

“You two helped with this?” Theresa asked Philip and Hilda

“Of course!” Philip answered, “Hilda and I wanted to make your birthday special, even if we’re in the Conservative Party conference, so we talked to Ruth and asked if we could throw you a surprise party during the lunch reception of the Scottish Conservatives.”

“Thank you Philip and Hilda, this is amazing!” Theresa told her husband and daughter, with tears of joy in her eyes

“Happy Birthday, love!” Philip told Theresa, kissing her on the left cheek afterwards

“Happy Birthday, mummy!” Hilda told her mother, kissing her on the right cheek afterwards

“Now, make a wish.” Philip told Theresa in a soft voice after leaning close to her

Theresa made her birthday wish, then she blew the candle on her birthday cake. The people in the function room clapped for her after she blew her birthday cake.

Ruth then took to the stage and said, “Now, I would like to greet the Prime Minister a Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday Prime Minister! Thank you for being here to inspire me to become a good leader for the Scottish Conservatives, and most of all, thank you for being here to help the Scottish Conservatives become the strong and stable party that it is today. I will always be an ally of yours and with that, I wish you many happy returns!”

Then, Ruth said, “Now, who else would like to make a speech for the PM? How about you, Philip?”

Ruth then pointed the microphone towards Philip, who gamely accepted it from her. Then from where he stood, he started his speech, “To my lovely wife, the mother of our daughter, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Leader of the Conservatives, Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the love you have given Hilda and I, and thank you for the work you have done to the Conservative Party, and to the country. Always remember that I will stand by you through thick and thin. I love you Theresa and I wish you many happy returns!”

After Philip made his speech, the entire room collectively went “Awww!”

“Thank you, love!” Theresa told Philip, “That is so sweet of you and I love you too!”

“and how about you, Hilda?” Philip asked Hilda, “Would you like to say a speech for mummy?”

Hilda then nodded in agreement, then Philip handed her the microphone. Hilda then started to speak, “Happy Birthday Mummy! You are so awesome, and mummy and I love you so much! I wish you many happy returns!”

Once again, the entire room collectively went “Awww!”

After that, Hilda gave the microphone back to Ruth who said, “Now, is there anybody else who would like to make a speech for the PM, besides her husband, her daughter and I?”

Then, half of the room started to point at each other while another half of the room were waving their hands, fighting to be noticed by Ruth. Ruth passed on the microphone to a Scottish Conservative member seated at the back, who, in addition to greeting Theresa a happy birthday, thanked her for inspiring her to enter politics. Another person who got to greet Theresa also thanked her, this time, for strengthening the socialized housing in Scotland.

Then five minutes passed, and people had finished making their speeches to the Prime Minister, who was now making a speech in response to them.

“First of all, I would like to thank you all for your birthday greetings which I have greatly appreciated! To my husband, Philip, I love you too and thank you and to our daughter for putting this surprise together along with Ruth and the Scottish Conservatives. Rest assured, I will continue to stand with the Scottish Conservatives, the entire Conservative Party, and the entire country for the years to come.” Theresa spoke

The people in the room then made a round of applause for Theresa after she gave her speech. Ruth then took the stage again and said, “That’s such a wonderful speech, Prime Minister! Now, for the part we’ve all been waiting for, the lunch buffet is now open!”

Then, everybody stood up and headed to the lunch buffet to get some food. It was going to be a festive lunch for everyone who turned up for the Scottish Conservatives lunch reception.

* * *

After attending the Scottish Conservatives lunch reception and attending a reception of Women2Win, the Mays were now back in their hotel suite. This time, Theresa had a dinner celebration with her family. Luckily, their hotel suite had its own kitchen which meant that Philip was able to cook up some food for Theresa for the dinner celebration.

For that dinner celebration, Philip decided to cook some pasta and bake some gluten free vanilla cake. While waiting for the cake to bake and for the pasta to be cooked, Philip joined Theresa and Hilda on the living room of the hotel suite. They were watching an episode from Series 4 of Doctor Who called “The Doctor’s Daughter”.

“The Tenth Doctor is such an amazing incarnation of The Doctor, isn’t he?” Philip asked Theresa as he watched along with her and their daughter.

“I agree, the Tenth Doctor is an amazing incarnation of The Doctor.” Theresa said. Theresa and Philip were huge fans of Doctor Who, and one of their favorite incarnations of The Doctor is the Tenth Doctor.

“Mummy, Daddy, look!” Hilda said as she pointed out to the screen. Jenny, The Doctor’s daughter has done a karate chop.

They continued to watch the episode together until the kitchen timer went off, signifying that the pasta has been cooked and the cake has been baked. Philip then stood up and went to the kitchen to continue preparing the food. Moments later, Philip had finished transferring the pasta on a big plate and putting sauce on it, and he had also finished putting icing on the vanilla cake.

Just as the credits rolled in, Theresa turned around to see that Philip had already finished preparing their dinner.

“Dinner’s ready, love!” Philip said with a joyful grin on his face. He was proud of the food that he prepared.

“Time for dinner, sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda, “We can watch more episodes later, okay.”

Hilda nodded in agreement and then held her mother’s hand. Theresa and Hilda then walked together to the dining table to join Philip.

“I’ve made Spaghetti Bolognese for the main course,” Philip announced, “And for dessert, we’re having Vanilla Cake!”

“This looks delicious!” Theresa remarked, “Now, who wants to say grace before we have dinner?”

“I do!” Hilda piped up as she raised her hand

“Okay then Hilda.” Theresa said with a smile

“Bless, O Father, Thy gifts to our use and us to Thy service; for Christ’s sake. Amen.” Hilda said

After saying grace, the Mays had their dinner. Philip was glad upon seeing that his wife and daughter liked what he has cooked for them.

“This Spaghetti Bolognese is delicious!” Theresa remarked, “You’ve done a great job, Philip! You should cook more often.”

“Thank you, love!” Philip told Theresa, “I’ve been practicing on my cooking skills and I’m glad to say the practice has paid off.”

“This pasta is yummy!” Hilda remarked, “You are the best cook, daddy!”

“Thank you, sweetie!” Philip told Hilda

While eating, the Mays talked about many things, such as the leader’s speech that’s going to take place the next day. Theresa had rehearsed the speech for a few moments when she, her husband and her daughter had arrived from Manchester Central earlier on.

Then, they had dessert which was the vanilla cake. Theresa sliced the cake into equal parts. Then, Philip took a slice and gave one to her, and to their daughter, before getting a slice for himself.

“Philip, you never fail to amaze me!” Theresa told Philip, “Not only did you make the Spaghetti Bolognese well, you’ve also made a delicious vanilla cake!”

“Of course, I make sure that the food I’ve made for you, our daughter, and our unborn twins is delicious!” Philip told Theresa, “I only want the best for the four of you!”

Theresa smiled because they were now getting used to the fact that they were becoming a family of five. She then put her palm on top of her belly and said, “and you’ve given the best for the four of us.”

* * *

“Mummy is really happy that she gets to celebrate this birthday with you two.” Theresa said, looking at her belly as she laid as her palm on top of it, “You two just hang on in there, okay. Mummy and daddy will do their very best to help you two become healthy and happy.”

“Daddy is so glad that you two are here right now.” Philip said, putting his palm on top of Theresa’s palm, “You two have made our lives much more wonderful.”

“I hope you liked the spaghetti, baby beans.” Hilda said, looking at Theresa’s belly as she leaned closer to it

Theresa and Philip then laughed.

“Of course your siblings like the spaghetti!” Theresa told Hilda

Then, Philip started singing, “So I say Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing, thanks for all the joy they're bringing.”

“Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without a song or a dance what are we?” Theresa sang along as she lovingly looked at Philip

“So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me.” Philip continued singing as he looked lovingly at Theresa

Hilda then clapped for her parents, then she said, “Mummy, you sing so well! Daddy, you don’t sing so well, though.”

“Well, you liked my singing when you were a baby.” Philip told Hilda

“Maybe I was asleep whenever you started singing.” Hilda said with a giggle

“Hay, at least I don’t sing off-tune!” Philip told Hilda as he playfully displayed an offended face

“Your daddy’s voice is not that bad, sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda

Philip then smiled and said, “Your mummy’s right.”

Hilda then giggled and after which, Theresa and Philip started singing again, and this time, Hilda sang along. For the next few minutes, they just kept singing and it will be no surprise that the twins that Theresa is carrying would grow up being just as musically inclined as their parents and their older sister.

Soon, it was time for them to get some sleep. Theresa then told Philip and Hilda, “Thank you for making today special!”

“Anything for you, love.” Philip told Theresa, kissing her forehead, “I love you, Theresa.”

“I love you too, Philip.” Theresa told Philip, kissing his forehead as well

“I love you, mummy!” Hilda told Theresa as she hugged her

“Mummy loves you too.” Theresa told Hilda, kissing her forehead

“Good night, mummy.” Hilda said

“Good night to you too, Hilda.” Theresa told Hilda

“Good night, Theresa.” Philip told Theresa

“Good night to you too, Philip.” Theresa said, “and of course, good night to you two, too.” She added as she put her palm on top of her belly and looked at it.

The Mays then fell asleep. The next day was going to be another amazing day!


	41. Another Step Closer to a Majority

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May gives her leader’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference of 2019 while Fiona Hill and Owen Jones grow much closer after spending some time together at the party conference.

_October 2, 2019 – Central Hall, Manchester Central_

It was the final day of the Conservative Party Conference of 2019 and the moment that everyone has been waiting for is about to take place – the Conservative Party Leader’s speech. Theresa, Philip and Hilda made their way into the Central Hall of Manchester Central, where the Conservative Party Leader’s speech is going to take place. They waved at the people who were standing by the aisles of the seats that they were passing by them.

A few moments later, they arrived at their designated seat, which was on the left side of the front row. They were joined on the front row by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor, the Home Secretary as well as the other cabinet members. The leader of the Scottish Conservatives, and the Welsh Conservatives were also seated on the front row.

“Prime Minister, how lovely to see you!” Amber Rudd, the Deputy Prime Minister said as she reached out to shake Theresa’s hand.

“It’s lovely to see you and the rest of the cabinet too!” Theresa told Amber as she shook her hand, “And of course, it’s lovely to see Ruth and Paul here as well!” she added, referring to the leaders of the Scottish Conservatives and the Welsh Conservatives. Ruth Davidson and Paul Davies nodded at Theresa in acknowledgement.

“It’s so lovely to see you too, Prime Minister!” Ruth told Theresa as she reached out to shake her hand

“and I see that you’ve brought Meredith with you!” Theresa remarked as she noticed that Ruth was carrying her daughter in her arms

“She’s here to listen to your speech too!” Ruth said with a giggle

“I’m sure Meredith will love it.” Theresa said with a smile, “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we shall be taking our seats.”

Ruth nodded to acknowledge what Theresa said, then she told Theresa, “Good luck on the speech! We’re all rooting for you!”

“Thank you for the kind words, Ruth!” Theresa replied. Then, she, Philip and Hilda then took their seats, which were beside Amber’s seat.

* * *

“Conference, the Conservative Party under my leadership, has brought about a lot of changes since my government took office in 2016. First and foremost, we have not only pushed through with Brexit as planned this year, but we have made a success out of it.” Theresa said, to the cheers of the Conservatives in the Central Hall, “We have made a success out of Brexit because of these three things: We were able to leave the EU with a fair deal, we were able to strengthen our existing trade deals with many nations, as well as start new trade deals with nations that we have previously not traded with.”

“You know, I’m actually impressed with how the Prime Minister managed to succeed on Brexit.” Owen Jones told Fiona Hill. They were both seated on the front row seats on the right that were reserved for journalists, “You’ve got to give it to her, she was able to get us a fair Brexit deal with the EU, which the likes of Boris Johnson thought was impossible.”

“Oh Owen, Theresa will never disappoint the British people.” Fiona told Owen, “That’s just not her thing. She will always see to it that the interests of the British people are respected.”

“On leaving the EU with a fair Brexit deal, we were able to convince the EU that allowing us to trade freely with them even when we are already out of the EU is not going to be a liability to their economy. In fact, British businesses that have expanded to the EU are still thriving.” Theresa spoke, “On strengthening our trade deals with many nations, we have already strengthened our trade deals with the member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations, and, we have also strengthened our trade deals with nations outside of the Commonwealth and the EU.”

“I have first-hand experience on how the Prime Minister has helped with British trade.” Owen told Fiona, “My books are selling like pancakes in other countries! I’ve never earned this much since I started working for The Guardian.”

“See, I told you that the Prime Minister will never disappoint us!” Fiona told Owen with glee

“On starting trade deals with countries we have not previously traded with, we have already started trading with Timor-Leste and Kosovo and the response has been positive.” Theresa went on, “These may not be large nations but they still play an important part in British trade.”

The audience cheered and clapped in response to what Theresa said, and it was not even the end of her speech yet.

“We have not only made strides on trade, but on humanitarian aid as well.” Theresa continued, “The United Kingdom under this Conservative government has extended assistance to many nations during times when they are in need. Disaster relief, educational aid, livelihood aid, healthcare aid – we have done it all and the results have been satisfactory! Many lives have been improved as a result of our efforts – from the party members here today who have discussed their ideas at the receptions to the elected Conservatives who have brought those ideas into policy.”

“I’m really happy to play a part in the Conservative Party’s efforts to make life better not just for the British people, but for the world as well.” Amber mused as she listened to the Prime Minister’s speech, “and I’m proud of the Prime Minister for recognizing our potential to improve life in the nation and around the world as well!”

“After all, we need each other to achieve these successes.” Philip Hammond, the Chancellor to the Exchequer said, “That’s what this entire conference is for. This is where we find out how the Conservative Party can continue to make lives better for the British people, and for the world as well.”

“The Conservative Party is also improving it’s policies for more housing, safer neighborhoods, increased employment, improved transportation, better support for families, and better support for vulnerable lives.” Theresa said, “This party commits to build more housing across the nation that would benefit families and young professionals alike. We do not just stop at building more housing, we also want to make sure these homes and the neighborhoods they are in are safe to live in, which brings us to the next point: Safer neighborhoods. We are committed to ensure that all homes are built in accordance to the building regulations, and we are committed to provide people with the tools they need in order to keep their neighborhoods safe in addition to increasing the presence of police and emergency services.”

People clapped after Theresa started to talk about the first two policies that the Conservative Party was going to improve on. Then, they continued to listen intently as Theresa continued her speech.

“This party is also committing to increase employment through additional funding for apprenticeships as well as providing additional support to small businesses. We have seen the importance of this one thanks to reports on the state of post-Brexit Britain’s small businesses such as the one authored by Fiona Hill and Owen Jones.” Theresa said, referring to the magazine article that Fiona and Owen did on post-Brexit Britain’s small businesses, “In terms of improving transportation, this party has plans for a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland to be built. This is just one of the Conservative Party’s many plans to make transportation more accessible to the British people.”

“Did you hear that Meredith?” Ruth asked her daughter, “It’s going to be much easier for us now to visit your grandparents, and your cousins!” she added, referring to Meredith’s Irish relatives.

Meredith babbled happily at her mother in response.

“I bet you’re excited for the bridge!” Ruth told her daughter, “I’m excited for the bridge too!”

“Better support for families. The Conservative Party plans to improve this through the expansion of the Baby Box scheme. The scheme will now be available to adoptive parents, regardless of whether they have adopted an infant or a child. This is to ensure that parents, whether they are biological or adoptive, get a good start in providing for the children that they welcome into their families.” Theresa went on, “We will also improve support for vulnerable people. More funding will be allotted for the welfare of homeless people, and we will make the system to provide them with a home, a job or education, or both, much more efficient. We will also provide protection for abortion survivors, through funding hospitals who are willing to save these survivors lives, and through providing support to those who wish to raise the survivors.”

“That is how pro-life policy looks like, Owen.” Fiona told Owen, “Pro-life policy protects lives, born or unborn. It’s different from what people like Jacob Rees-Mogg peddle to the British public. I bet you’ve never heard of this anywhere in Labour!”

Owen could not help but listen in awe at what Theresa just said. Yes, he had not heard of such things in all the Labour conferences they attended. He’s noticed that while they want homeless people to be protected, they do not want the same for abortion survivors. He was curious about how the Conservative Party’s plans to provide protection to abortion survivors would work.

“The Conservative Party will continue to make life better for the British people, and the Conservative Party will continue to help people around the world who are in need. These will continue to be possible with your support for the party because each of you has a valuable contribution to this party.” Theresa spoke, “When we are able to continue to what we do to make this nation a better place, we will win a majority on the General Election in 2022. Conference, thank you for your continuous support and good noon!”

After Theresa finished her speech, the Central Hall erupted into applauses and cheers. Meanwhile, Philip and Hilda went up the stage to join Theresa after she gave her speech. Philip hugged Theresa, after which, he carried Hilda so she could hug her mother.

“You did really well, love!” Philip told Theresa in awe

“Thank you, love!” Theresa told Philip

“Mummy, that was awesome!” Hilda told Theresa, impressed with how people responded to her speech

“Thank you, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda as she took her from Philip’s arms

Theresa, Philip and Hilda waved at everyone in the Central Hall, after which, they proceeded to leave the stage where Theresa was congratulated by her cabinet ministers and the leaders of the Scottish and Welsh Conservative Parties.

“Congratulations Theresa! That was such an amazing speech!” Amber said as she shook Theresa’s hand

“Thank you, Amber!” Theresa replied

“See the speech that our party leader just did?” Amber told her fellow cabinet secretaries, “That is proof that we’re winning in 2022!”

Theresa’s cabinet secretaries cheered in agreement to what Amber said. The Conservatives are already a step closer to a majority after Theresa’s powerful speech the previous year and now, they are getting another step closer to getting a majority in 2022 after the speech that she just gave.

* * *

After the conference speech, Theresa, Philip and Hilda went to a lunch reception hosted by Amber Rudd and attended by cabinet ministers, the leaders of the Scottish Conservatives and the Welsh Conservatives, and some party members. The celebration that they were already having after Theresa made her speech at the Central Hall continued there.

“You know what love, I have a feeling that you will get that majority in 2022.” Philip told Theresa as he held her hand, “You did so well on your speech, and party members are trusting you even more than they already did when you made that amazing speech last year.”

“I will do my best to help this party gain that majority.” Theresa told Philip, “We will not allow the future of the United Kingdom to fall into the wrong hands.” She added.

“Mummy, what happens if you get the majority?” Hilda asked

“Sweetie, if mummy gets the majority, she gets to keep being Prime Minister.” Theresa explained to Hilda

“Wow, you’re going to be Prime Minister longer!” Hilda told Theresa

“That’s right, your mummy will stay longer as PM if she wins a majority.” Philip told Hilda

“Mummy, please win the majority!” Hilda told her mother

“Mummy will help the Conservatives win the majority sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda with a smile. Hilda cheered at her mother in response.

Meanwhile, Ruth Davidson found Fiona and Owen by the dessert table sampling the desserts that were being served. She went up to them to strike a conversation with them.

“So, has Owen here finally decided to become a Tory?” Ruth Davidson asked Fiona Hill

“He isn’t planning to switch parties, Ruth.” Fiona explained, “However, he has become more open minded to our views. I guess that’s a good start.”

“Tagging along with Fiona at the Conservative Party Conference this year was a wonderful decision.” Owen told Ruth, “We went to many receptions, we got to talk to many party members too and it gave me a better look at the Conservative Party.”

“Well, that’s good to hear Owen.” Ruth told Owen, “Perhaps next year, you’d sign up to become a Conservative Party member. After all, we’re looking to get more seats in Scotland, perhaps you’d like to contest for a seat in Edinburgh?” she added with a laugh, referring to the fact that some members of Owen’s family live in Edinburgh.

“Well…I think I’ll continue being a Labourite.” Owen told Ruth, “But that shouldn’t stop me from being with Fiona often.” He added with a smile

“Give it some time, Ruth.” Fiona said with a giggle, “Pretty sure he’ll want to be a Tory soon.” She added jokingly.

“Well then, I should really get going.” Ruth told Fiona and Owen, “I’ve still got to tend to Meredith.” She added

“Alright then, we hope to talk to you again soon, Ruth!” Fiona told Ruth

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then walked up to the dessert table where Fiona and Owen were. They decided to talk to them as well.

“So, how are you two doing?” Theresa asked Fiona and Owen

“Well, we’re doing fine.” Fiona told Theresa, “Owen is finally convinced that the Conservatives only want the best for Britain.”

“I’m glad to hear that!” Theresa told Fiona, after which, she told her and Owen, “You know, I’ve noticed that you two have been spending so much time together lately.”

“Oh, Fiona and I have become close friends since we first started to work together.” Owen explained to Theresa

“But you two look at each other like how mummy and daddy look at each other!” Hilda told Fiona and Owen

Fiona and Owen could not help but blush at what Hilda just said.

“Hilda’s right. Philip and I have noticed the same thing.” Theresa said

“It seems like there’s something more to the friendship that you two have.” Philip remarked

“We’re just really sweet to each other as friends.” Fiona said, smiling. She and Owen have developed a close friendship, and as they started seeing each other more, it has started to feel more than a friendship, but they could not quite say yet that they are in love with each other.

“Yes, like what Fiona said.” Owen said with a smile

“Anyway, I hope you two are having a good time here!” Theresa told Fiona and Owen, “Amber really did her best to put this reception together.”

“We will!” Fiona and Owen told Theresa in unison

“Mummy, Daddy, are Aunt Fiona and Uncle Owen in love now?” Hilda asked her mother and father

“We’re not quite sure yet, sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda

“It’s still too early to tell.” Philip told Hilda

“When will we get to see them again?” Hilda asked her parents

“We will get to see them again, I’m sure.” Theresa told Hilda

The Conservative Party Conference of 2019 was a success and the party’s chances of attaining a majority in 2022 has gotten much higher. Theresa could not help but feel happy at the fact that she was able to do her part in strengthening the party’s support base before the General Elections take place. Philip and Hilda could not help but feel happy for Theresa too, because seeing her succeed also makes them happy.


	42. Wedding Plans and Catch-ups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May tells her husband, Philip, and her daughter, Hilda, about the good news she got from the Queen during their weekly audience. Meanwhile, Fiona Hill and Owen Jones pay a visit to Jeremy Corbyn and Laura Alvarez.

_October 16, 2019 – 10 Downing Street_

Theresa May had just returned from her weekly audience with the Queen. Earlier that day, she had Prime Minister’s Questions, and afterwards, a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister.

“Her Majesty had informed me that Hilda is going to be a flower girl to Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding.” Theresa went on, telling her husband, “Prince Andrew and Sarah specifically asked Her Majesty if they could break the news to me through her, which is why I found out about that through the Queen herself.”

“Well, that’s amazing to hear!” Philip remarked, “So, has the Queen told you anything about Hilda being a flower girl to the wedding?”

“Oh yes, she asked if we could come over to the Buckingham Palace on Friday.” Theresa explained, “Because Hilda needs to have her measurements taken for the flower girl’s gown.”

“Mummy, what are you and daddy talking about?” Hilda said, walking into the living room with Larry the cat on her arms, and Chloe, the family’s Labrador, following right behind.

“The Queen said you’re going to be a flower girl for Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding.” Theresa told her daughter. It had been weeks since Prince Andrew and Sarah announced that they were going to marry again, and of course, the United Kingdom is still as excited as ever for that upcoming royal wedding.

Hilda cheered upon hearing that the Queen herself has confirmed that she was going to be the flower girl to Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding. She already knew earlier on that she would play a part in the wedding when Melania called her mother after the wedding was first announced.

“and we’re going to the Buckingham Palace this Friday because they need to take your measurements for the gown.” Theresa said

“Do we get to see the Queen too?” Hilda asked, knowing that going to the Buckingham Palace would also mean getting to see the Queen.

“If she doesn’t have any engagements that day, then yes, we might see her around.” Theresa told Hilda, who was obviously giddy already with the upcoming trip to the Buckingham Palace.

* * *

“Do you happen to be free this Friday afternoon, Barron?” Melania asked as she worked on the designs for the entourage’s outfits to the upcoming wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah

“My football practice ends at three, why?” Barron responded as he was taking off his shoes. He had just arrived from school. Since moving to the United Kingdom, he started studying at the Paddington Academy where he managed to join the football team, partly thanks to the fact that back in the United States, he was in the Development Academy of D.C. United.

“We’re going to the Buckingham Palace to take the measurements of Prince Andrew and Sarah, and their entourage for the wedding attire.” Melania told Barron, “Stacey could not make it, she’s taking the entire week off to visit her parents in Hastings.” She added, referring to her personal assistant.

“Well then, I’ve always wanted to visit the Buckingham Palace so I’m going with you.” Barron told his mother. He was always fascinated with the Royals, especially because most of the members of the Royal Family had stable relationships with their family, very much unlike his life back when he lived in the White House. Not to mention that people in the Royal Family were respectable, far from the family he left behind in the United States.

“How did school go, Barron?” Melania asked her son

“It went pretty well, mum.” Barron as a matter of factly told his mother, “Spanish class was great. For our class project, we’re supposed to translate an entire episode of a show to Spanish. I was thinking of doing that with _Dream Team_.”

“That’s great!” Melania told Barron, “Since you’re already preparing for the GCSEs, have you thought of what to do after that?”

“I was thinking of getting into fashion design school.” Barron told Melania, “or I could become a professional football player, get into Team England and play in the World Cup.”

“Whatever makes you happy, will make me happy too.” Melania told her son.

* * *

Jeremy Corbyn opened the door to his home in Islington to the sight of Fiona Hill and Owen Jones. The two carried paper bags with them. Jeremy welcomed them into his home and had them sit on the living room.

“So, what brings you two here?” Jeremy asked the two.

“We wanted to give you and Laura a few things for the baby.” Fiona told Jeremy, “And we bought some burritos too because we know Laura loves them!”

“Did somebody say burritos?” Laura said as she walked into the living room.

Laura then took a seat beside her husband and Jeremy passed her a burrito from one of the paper bags that Fiona and Owen brought to them. Laura held on to the burrito with one hand, while she put her other hand on top of her bump. Then she said, “Camila would really love this!”

Laura then ate the burrito and she was satisfied with how good the burrito tasted. Then she asked for another burrito from Jeremy, who happily gave it to her.

“So, Owen and I bought some onesies for the baby from a fair trade shop here in Islington.” Fiona told Jeremy and Laura. Then, she took out an onesie from the paper bag she was holding. This was the onesie with the heart prints.

“That looks adorable!” Laura said as she saw the first onesie, “Camila would look really lovely in that.”

“Wait, there’s more!” Fiona said as she took out another onesie from the paper bag. This one was the onesie with the tartan print.

“That looks adorable too!” Laura said, “Thank you Fiona and Owen! That’s really thoughtful of you two!”

“You’re welcome, Laura!” Owen said, “Fiona and I are so excited for the both of you.”

“and Jeremy and I are excited for the baby too!” Laura said as she rubbed her bump.

“Camila’s going to be a really adorable baby, I’m sure!” Fiona told Laura and Jeremy.

Laura smiled with what Fiona said, now she (and Jeremy) are even more excited to see their baby, even though her birth would still be four months away.


	43. Gowns and Suits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda and her parents, Theresa and Philip visit the Buckingham Palace, where she and the entourage to Prince Andrew of York and Sarah, Duchess of York’s wedding have their measurements taken for their wedding outfits.

_October 18, 2019 – Buckingham Palace_

The preparations for Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s wedding was already underway. Earlier that week, the couple had already gotten in touch with their wedding coordinator. Now, the couple and their entourage are having their measurements taken for the wedding outfits.

“That’s a good girl!” Melania told Hilda after she had finished taking her measurements. Hilda did not kick up a fuss while Melania was taking her measurements for the flower girl’s gown.

This was Melania’s first time to make wedding attires for children, and her first time to make wedding attires in general. She had been told by fashion industry veterans about how taking measurements for children’s outfits can be challenging, but so far, she has not found any difficulties with taking measurements of the children for their wedding outfits.

“Okay Charlotte, you’re next!” Melania said, calling Charlotte over. Charlotte strutted towards Melania and then, Melania started to take her measurements for the flower girl’s gown.

A few moments later, Melania had finished taking the measurements of the flower girls for Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding. Now, it was time for Sarah to have her measurements taken.

“Based on the specifications you gave me, this is the design that I have come up with for your wedding gown.” Melania said, showing Sarah a page of her sketchpad.

“That’s so marvelous, Melania!” Sarah said as she saw the sketch, which was of a bridal gown with long sleeves and an A-Line skirt

“Alright then, let’s take your measurements, shall we?” Melania asked Sarah.

Sarah nodded in agreement, then Melania told everyone in the room, “I’ll be taking Sarah’s measurements, now if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask everyone except Sarah to leave the room.”

Everyone else in the room then left and made their way to another room, which was designated as a holding room for the wedding entourage who came over for their measurements to be taken, and the companions of the children in the entourage.

* * *

“Aunt Sarah says that you’re in a football team!” Prince George told Barron, who was with the wedding entourage and their companions in the holding room.

“Yeah, I play football for Paddington Academy.” Barron said, “I go to school there, and I got into their football team.”

“So you’re like Harry Kane?” Princess Charlotte asked, referring to the team captain of Team England

“Sort of,” Barron said, “I’m not the team captain, though. I’m just a midfielder.”

“I had Spanish lessons this week with Nanny Tessa!” Princess Charlotte told Barron. She continued to learn the Spanish language under the tutelage of her nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, whom she calls “Nanny Tessa”.

“I take Spanish classes in school too!” Barron told Princess Charlotte. He chose Spanish as his language class for his GCSEs.

“¿Quieres jugar algún día en la Copa del Mundo?” Princess Charlotte proceeded to ask Barron, upon being told by him that he takes Spanish classes in school.

“Algún dia lo hare.” Barron replied, with his accent, that was somewhere between being an English accent and an American accent, still being a bit obvious.

“Suenas gracioso!” Princess Charlotte told Barron, with a giggle. She giggled at the accent that he had while speaking Spanish. She has learned the language for a few years, which explains why her English accent is not so obvious anymore whenever she speaks Spanish.

“Quiero que estés allí cuando llegue a la Copa del Mundo.” Barron told Princess Charlotte. Being able to play in the World Cup as part of Team England is one of his biggest dreams.

“Te veré jugar en la Copa del Mundo con George y Louis.” Princess Charlotte replied with a smile.

“Did somebody say the World Cup?” Prince George asked his sister and Barron. He understood what his sister and Barron were talking about because he can speak Spanish too.

“Yeah.” Barron told Prince George, “Playing in the World Cup is one of my biggest dreams. That’s why I’m in my school’s football team!”

“How about you, Louis?” Hilda asked Prince Louis, the younger brother of Princess Charlotte and Prince George, “Do you want to play football too?”

“I want to ice skate.” Prince Louis told Hilda. Prince Louis and his siblings had tried ice skating when they visited an ice skating rink with their parents for an engagement. Of the three siblings, it was him who loved skating on ice the most. In fact, his parents have thought about enrolling him to ice skating lessons when he is a bit older.

* * *

After Melania had finished taking the measurements of Sarah, she and Sarah joined everybody else in the holding room, where Sarah made a few announcements about the wedding.

“I’m glad to have you all here.” Sarah told everybody in the holding room, “Melania has finished taking the measurements of everyone in the entourage, and special thanks to Barron for helping out with taking the measurements of the men in the entourage. I’m sure Barron here has a future in the fashion industry.”

Barron could not help but look in awe at what Sarah just said. Her saying that he has a future in the fashion industry. He was considering that path if he wouldn’t become a professional football player.

“Thank you, Sarah.” Barron told Sarah

“I’ll let all of you know when the fitting is going to take place.” Melania told everyone in the room, “Until then, thank you everyone for coming over today and I can’t wait to see you all again soon!”

As everyone left the room, Sarah turned to Melania and told her, “Thank you so much for agreeing to do the wedding wardrobe!”

“I’m more than happy to work with you and His Royal Highness.” Melania told Sarah, “This is the big break that I’ve been waiting for and I’m very thankful that you’re the one who gave me this big break. I’ve never been this successful back in America.”

“Melania, I do not have a maid of honor yet.” Sarah told Melania, “But you’re the closest person to me right now outside of my family, so will you be the maid of honor?”

“Uh-I really-“ Melania spoke

“I really trust you a lot,” Sarah went on, “and for that, you deserve a special place in my wedding day.”

“I’m already your designer.” Melania stated, “Isn’t that a special place for me for your wedding day?”

“Yes, but you’re more than just a designer to me.” Sarah explained, “You’ve become a confidant too.”

Melania’s lips curled into a smile, to which Sarah said, “So is it a yes?”

“It’s a yes.” Melania told Sarah, to which Sarah responded to by hugging her.

* * *

After spending the afternoon at the Buckingham Palace, the Mays made their way back to Maidenhead for the weekend. On the drive home, Theresa and Philip talked about their excitement for the wedding.

“I can’t wait for our daughter to grace Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding day as a flower girl!” Theresa told Philip with excitement

“I can’t wait for that too!” Philip told Theresa

“I’m so proud for our daughter,” Theresa went on, “This is going to be her first time being a flower girl.”

“I think she’ll be a great flower girl.” Philip said

“You’re right, she will be.” Theresa said, “In fact, she was well behaved the entire afternoon, and I hope it will be the same when the wedding takes place.”

“Mummy, when is the wedding?” Hilda asked her parents

“We don’t know yet.” Theresa told her daughter, “Prince Andrew and Sarah have not yet told anyone about the wedding date.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out soon.” Philip added

“I’m excited for the wedding!” Hilda piped up

“Your mummy and I are excited for that too.” Philip told his daughter

“I think we should start teaching Hilda about what she would be doing as a flower girl.” Theresa suggested

“That’s a wonderful idea, love.” Philip told Theresa, “if I’m not mistaken, we still have some fabric rose petals left in the craft box at home.”

“Alright then, Hilda,” Theresa said, “Would you like to practice the things that flower girls do tomorrow?”

“Yes mummy!” Hilda answered

“Wonderful!” Theresa reacted, “We’ll do the practice for your role as a flower girl to Prince Andrew and Sarah’s wedding tomorrow.”

Hilda cheered at what her mother said. Her becoming a flower girl at a royal wedding is another milestone that Theresa and Philip are celebrating, and they are more than happy to help her with preparing for that role.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> ¿Quieres jugar algún día en la Copa del Mundo? = Do you want to play in the World Cup someday?  
> Algún dia lo hare. = Someday, I will  
> Suenas gracioso! = You sound funny!  
> Quiero que estés allí cuando llegue a la Copa del Mundo. = I want you to be there when I make it to the World Cup.  
> Te veré jugar en la Copa del Mundo con George y Louis = I’ll watch you play in the World Cup with George and Louis


	44. Bonding on a Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May is joined by her husband, Philip, and her daughter, Hilda to her first pre-natal appointment where she also receives exciting news.

_October 19, 2019 – St. Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead_

Theresa and Philip May were at the St. Mark’s Hospital for Theresa’s first pre-natal appointment. Theresa had chosen to do her pre-natal appointments at a hospital close to her constituency since it is practical, considering that she will be spending her maternity leave at home. Hilda also joined them that day, because they figured that it would help Hilda ease into her role as an older sister-to-be.

“We have taken your vital signs, and we have taken your ultrasound and listened to the heartbeat of your twins as well,” Dr. Jennifer Campbell, Theresa’s doctor said, “and so far, everything is alright! Your vital signs are normal, your twins are growing normally, and the heartbeats of your twins are normal.”

“That’s great to hear, doctor!” Theresa told Dr. Campbell, “How about the blood test?”

“Yes, the blood test.” Dr. Campbell said, “The results of the blood test show that your twins have no genetic anomalies, in addition to that, the blood test results also includes the gender of your twins. Would you like to find out about that too?”

Theresa and Philip looked at each other, then looked at Hilda, who was intently listening to the discussion between her parents and the doctor.

“Should we?” Theresa asked her husband and her daughter.

Philip and Hilda nodded in agreement.

“I would like to find out the gender of the twins,” Theresa told Dr. Campbell, “and my husband and my daughter agree to the same, too.”

“Alright then,” Dr. Campbell went on, “The blood test results also say that you’ve got a male baby, and a female baby. You are having fraternal twins.”

“I’m really happy to find out about that, doctor!” Theresa said, “I’m having a male baby, and a female baby. All I could say is that my family is really blessed!”

“I share the same sentiments with my wife, too.” Philip spoke

“How about you, Hilda?” Dr. Campbell asked Hilda

“I’m happy too!” Hilda told Dr. Campbell, “I’m getting a baby brother, and a baby sister!”

“Now, before I let you three go,” Dr. Campbell spoke, “I’m going to give you three some advice that you will find useful for the next seven months.”

Theresa, Philip and Hilda listened intently as Dr. Campbell spoke to them. Dr. Campbell started off by saying, “Now Mrs. May, I understand that you are the Prime Minister and being Prime Minister means that you’ve got a lot of work to do on a daily basis. There’s nothing wrong with being Prime Minister and being pregnant at the same time, but do take some time to relax, and do continue with your healthy diet. It’s going to help you and your babies in the long run.”

Then Dr. Campbell continued, saying, “Mr. May, do help out your wife, especially during the third trimester. Your support is essential not just for her, but for your babies too. After all, the both of you share an equal responsibility in raising your children.”

Lastly, Dr. Campbell said, “and Hilda, do help out your mum and dad when you can. As an older sister, you do have a responsibility to look out for your younger siblings, and helping out your mum and your dad while your mum is pregnant is one of them.”

Dr. Campbell then asked, “Are there any questions?”

Theresa and Philip looked at each other again, then looked at Hilda. Then Theresa said, “We have none.”

“Alright then, I hope to see you next month.” Dr. Campbell said, “and if there’s any concern you have regarding your pregnancy, feel free to contact me.”

“Thank you so much for seeing me today, doctor!” Theresa told Dr. Campbell

“You’re welcome, Prime Minister!” Dr. Campbell said, “Now, take care you three!”

“We will!” Theresa said. Then, she, her husband and her daughter left the doctor’s office.

* * *

The Mays were driving back to their home in Maidenhead from the hospital. While on the ride home, they could not contain their excitement over the twins. This is because they already know what the genders of the twins are.

“We’ve found out what the gender of our twins are, do you know what this means?” Philip asked Theresa

“We can finally start shopping things for them!” Theresa answered, “But first, we still have to check if we are still lacking in supplies for the babies. After all, the furniture in the nursery are still in good condition, and we’ve still got some of Hilda’s baby clothes left.”

“But Hilda is a girl, we’re having a baby boy too!” Philip said, “and we need one more crib!”

“Philip, I know you’re so excited to shop.” Theresa explained, “and I am as well. But some of the things that Hilda had as a baby are also appropriate for a baby boy, like those white onesies that she has. As for the additional crib, we are definitely getting one”

“You do have a point.” Philip told Theresa, “So, are we going to get the crib from the local furniture shop like the last time?”

“Of course!” Theresa told Philip, “We want only the best for our babies, after all.”

“Mummy, can I go with you and daddy when you two go shopping for the babies’ stuff?” Hilda asked her mother

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda, “You can join your daddy and I in shopping things for the babies.”

“So, when do we place the order for the crib?” Philip asked

“When I’m fourteen weeks pregnant, we’ll place the order for the crib. That will be in six weeks.” Theresa told Philip, “and the same goes for the shopping trips for the things that the babies need that we do not have at home.”

“I’m totally looking forward to it!” Philip said in an excited tone

“I’m excited for it!” Hilda piped up, “and mummy, will the babies get plushies too?” she added

“Yes sweetie, your daddy and I will buy some plushies for the babies too.” Theresa told Hilda

Hilda cheered in excitement at her mother’s answer. Then, she leaned towards Theresa’s belly and said, “Hear that baby beans! Mummy and daddy are excited to buy things for you two!”

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now at the living room after dinner. They decided to watch Britain’s Got Talent that night. As they were watching TV, Theresa then told Philip, “I think we should start deciding on what to name the babies.”

“I think so too.” Philip told Theresa

“I was thinking of naming the girl Olivia and the boy Oliver.” Theresa said

“Olivia and Oliver.” Philip said, “Those sound such adorable names for the babies.”

“And for their middle names, I was thinking Olivia should get Zaidee as her middle name.” Theresa spoke, “In honor of my mum.”

“Then Oliver can get Hubert as his middle name, in honor of your dad.” Philip said

“Maybe we could put in a third middle name too?” Theresa suggested, “It would be unfair that only my parents would have their names passed on to the twins. Joy for Olivia and John for Oliver. How does that sound?”

“Olivia Zaidee Joy, Oliver Hubert John,” Philip spoke, “That sounds amazing!”

“Then we’ve already decided what to name our babies!” Theresa said

“What do you think, Hilda?” Philip asked her daughter

“The babies have long names,” Hilda said, “Like Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.” She added, referring to the fact that the full names of the three royal children were quite long. She could still remember when their parents introduced the children to her, and they went on to recite their full names.

“Yes, they do have long names,” Theresa explained, “But not as long as Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’”

“And besides, if we gave them more middle names,” Philip said, “It would take them a long time to finish writing their names if they are asked to write them in full.” He added, which led to him, Theresa and Hilda bursting into laughter.

“I’m sure my parents and yours would have been overjoyed with the good news that we received today.” Theresa told Philip

“I’m sure they would be!” Philip said, “and they would be excited to see the twins too!”

Philip then put his palm on top of Theresa’s belly and said, “Olivia and Oliver, your mummy and I are so happy that we’ve finally given you two your names!”

“I hope you two like your names.” Theresa said as she looked at her belly and put her palm on top of it, “They’re such beautiful names!”

“Your big sister loves you, Olivia and Oliver.” Hilda said as she put her palm on top of her mother’s hand that is on her belly

“God has truly blessed us today with the good news about our twins,” Theresa said, “and he’s also blessed us today in that we were able to decide a name for our twins.”

“and I hope God continues to bless our growing family.” Philip spoke

“I love you Philip!” Theresa told Philip

“I love you too, Theresa!” Philip told Theresa

“and most of all, I, and your daddy, and your big sister love you two!” Theresa said, referring to her Olivia and Oliver.

The Mays could not wait for what is in store for the next seven months for their growing family. For now, they are doing their very best to ensure that the new additions to their family get all the love and care they need.


	45. Federal Elections and State Visits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results of Canada’s 44th Federal Elections have just been announced and Andrew Scheer is now the new Prime Minister-designate of Canada. Meanwhile, Theresa May, her family, and her Deputy Prime Minister are looking forward to meeting Canada’s next Prime Minister.

_October 22, 2019 – 10 Downing Street_

The news report of the results of the 43rd Canadian Federal Elections was being shown on the television set of the Prime Minister’s office in 10 Downing Street. Monitoring the results of this election is very important for the Prime Minister because Canada is a major ally of the United Kingdom, and who becomes Prime Minister of Canada after the elections may affect the trading relations between the UK and Canada after Brexit.

“Andrew Scheer is now the Prime Minister-designate of Canada after the Conservative Party of Canada won 215 seats in a historic federal election.” Louise Minchin, the anchor of BBC Breakfast said, “Historic, because the Conservative Party of Canada has surpassed the record previously held by its predecessor party, the Progressive Conservative Party, of 211 seats which the said party won when Brian Mulroney was their leader.”

 “Andrew Scheer has done exceptionally well!” Amber said, “Considering that he’s the youngest party leader of Canada’s federal elections this year.”

“That’s why you don’t underestimate a person because of their age, Amber.” Theresa told Amber, “Andrew may be young but he has all the determination to bring his party to where it is today.”

“Theresa is right,” Philip, Theresa’s husband said, as he entered the Prime Minister’s Office along with Hilda, “Andrew Scheer is a determined man, despite the fact that he is the youngest among the federal party leaders for this year’s federal elections in Canada.”

“Mummy, what are you and Auntie Amber doing?” Hilda asked her mother as she walked towards her

“We’re watching the news report for the Canadian Federal Elections.” Theresa told her daughter

“Who won?” Hilda asked her mother

“Andrew Scheer did.” Theresa explained, “The Conservative Party of Canada has a majority now, and they are forming the government.”

“So is Mr. Scheer going to be Prime Minister?” Hilda asked, referring to the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

“He will be.” Theresa said, “But until he is sworn in by the Governor-General of Canada, he is still the Prime Minister-designate.”

“Can I watch with you and Auntie Amber?” Hilda asked her mother

“Sure sweetie!” Theresa said, after which, Hilda and Philip took their seats beside Theresa

“Andrew Scheer is going to be Prime Minister, he said he supports our exit from the European Union.” Amber said, “Looks like we are getting stronger diplomatic relations with Canada now!”

“Now, it’s time to congratulate him for winning his party a majority.” Theresa said, after which, she called Andrew Scheer through her phone to congratulate him for his victory at the federal elections in Canada.

* * *

_Saskatchewan, Canada_

Andrew Scheer was still fresh from winning his party a majority at the 43rd Canadian Federal Elections. After weeks of campaigning, his efforts were truly recognized by the Canadian people who chose the candidates of his party to represent them in the House of Commons.

It was already 2am in Canada but he was still wide awake, for he was still doing interviews with various media outlets who are covering the federal elections. Not to mention that he needed to make calls to Conservative MPs whom he wants to offer a cabinet position to.

“Will becoming the Prime Minister of Canada change anything for you and your family?” A reporter from Global News asked Andrew

“My family and I have prepared ourselves for this. Jill has my 100% support, the kids have my 100% support. We are ready for what’s about to happen.” Andrew said, “and becoming Prime Minister would bring changes to our family, but we will not let these changes get in the way for our family. Even if I’m going to become Prime Minister, I will still find time to be with my family, while being able to do my duties as Prime Minister at the same time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Scheer.” The reporter said, “and we hope to see you around for your swearing-in ceremony.”

“You’re welcome!” Andrew told the reporter, “I hope to see you there too!”

As the reporter walked away to interview other people in the Conservative Party’s campaign headquarters, Andrew’s phone rang. When he checked to see who called, it was none other than the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom herself.

Andrew then answered the phone, saying, “Hello Prime Minister.”

* * *

_10 Downing Street_

“Hello Mr. Scheer.” Theresa said, “I’ve called to congratulate you for winning the Conservative Party of Canada a majority in your country’s federal elections.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister.” Andrew said, “It is an honor for me to bring my party a majority and to become the next Prime Minister of Canada.”

“The British Government recognizes that you have fairly won the federal elections of your country.” Theresa spoke, “and we are looking forward to working with the government that you are about to lead for the strengthening of the diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Canada.”

“And I, and the government that I am forming, is also looking forward to working with the British Government as well.” Andrew spoke, “May this be the start of stronger diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Canada.”

“The British Government is ready to extend an invitation for a state visit to you.” Theresa said, “all we are waiting for is for you to tell us when you’d like to make the state visit.”

“I, and the government that I am forming, is also ready to extend an invitation for a state visit to you as well.” Andrew said, “Just let me know when you would like to make the state visit.”

“I am looking forward to make that state visit, and I will inform you as soon as we finalize the details regarding that.” Theresa said

“I’m glad to hear that.” Andrew spoke

“Mr. Scheer, the future of Canada is in your hands.” Theresa said, “and I have confidence that you will be able to give the Canadians a better future. I wish you all the best on your new role as Prime Minister of Canada.”

“Thank you, Prime Minister!” Andrew said

“You’re welcome, Mr. Scheer.” Theresa answered, after which, the call was ended.

“Mummy, are we going to Canada?” Hilda asked her mother

“Well, we will be going to Canada soon.” Theresa told Hilda, “But mummy and her cabinet has to fix the details first.”

“Yay!” Hilda said in the happiest tone

“We’ll be able to visit Canada once again after two years!” Philip remarked, “The last time we were there, Hilda was still ten months old.”

“I still remembered when she had her first poutine.” Theresa said, “She liked the poutine so much!”

“That’s one thing she’s gotten from you.” Philip said, “The love for fried treats made of potatoes. She likes crisps and poutine, which you like as well!”

“I’m looking forward to visiting the Canadian House of Commons.” Amber said, “I have never been to Canada and I would really love to join the state visit.”

“Of course you are joining the state visit.” Theresa said, “You’re the Deputy Prime Minister! You are joining the delegation, along with the Chancellor and the Home Secretary.”

“I’m sure you and the Scheers would get along very well.” Amber told Theresa and Philip, “You two have many things in common with them, like how the both of you had jobs in the financial sector, like Andrew did, or like how Theresa is a vicar’s daughter, and Andrew is a deacon’s son, or like how you two have been involved with politics since your youth, like Andrew did, or like how you two have a love for cricket, like Andrew and Jill love ice hockey.”

“I’m sure we will get along really well with them.” Theresa told Amber

“Maybe they could take us to a hockey match.” Philip said, “and we could take them to a cricket match when they come here to the United Kingdom.”

“We could consider including those among the list of activities for them outside of the meeting that Andrew and I would have, and the engagements that you’d accompany Jill to while the meeting is going on.” Theresa said, “We could also take them to an ice hockey game, we do have a national ice hockey team, and having them watch both a cricket game and an ice hockey game, could strengthen the relations between Canada and the UK in terms of sports.”

“Mummy, is Mr. Scheer coming here too?” Hilda asked her mother

“He’ll come over for a state visit soon, sweetie.” Theresa told her daughter

“When we visit him in Canada, are we going to see his family too?” Hilda asked

“We might be able to see them too.” Theresa said, “and I’m sure you’ll be happy to meet them!”

“The Scheers have a daughter that’s about Hilda’s age.” Amber told Theresa, “I’m sure Hilda would be good friends with her.”

“I’m sure they will be.” Theresa replied.

“I’m excited to meet Mr. Scheer’s family!” Hilda told her parents with glee.

“We’re excited to meet them too.” Theresa said, pointing to herself and her husband at the same time.

There was so much that the Mays were looking forward to about the new Prime Minister of Canada. They are looking forward to see him on Theresa’s state visit to Canada after he has been sworn in as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada, and they are looking forward to his state visit to the United Kingdom as well.


	46. Visitors and a Swearing-in Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Theresa May is having a meeting with Amber Rudd and Ruth Davidson, her daughter, Hilda, visits her office and introduces Ruth’s children, Finn and Meredith, to Larry the Cat. Later on, the Mays watch the coverage of Andrew Scheer’s swearing-in as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada.

_November 6, 2019 – 10 Downing Street_

Finn and Meredith were seated on the couch of the Prime Minister’s Office in 10 Downing Street as their mother was having a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. Hilda walked into the office with Larry the Cat in her arms, while her father followed her.

“Daddy, Finn and Meredith are here!” Hilda announced to her father upon seeing the son and the daughter of the Scottish Conservatives leader.

“Would you like to say hi to them?” Philip asked her daughter, to which she nodded in approval.

Hilda then took off, walking towards the couch where Ruth Davidson’s children were seated. She then set Larry down on the couch, just beside where Finn was seated. Meanwhile, Philip took a seat on a chair just beside the couch.

“Hello Finn!” Hilda said, “and Hello Meredith!”

Finn waved at Hilda in response, saying “Hi!”

Meredith on the other hand, just babbled at Hilda

“This is Larry the Cat.” Hilda said as she stroked Larry the Cat’s back

Larry then purred at Finn and Meredith.

“He is such a nice cat.” Hilda continued, “He is happy to meet you two.”

Larry then purred at Finn and Meredith once again.

Finn giggled at Larry and then reached out to stroke his head. After that, Meredith moved near Larry and then she went on to poke Larry’s nose.

“Be gentle with Larry, okay.” Hilda told Finn and Meredith

Just then, the meeting that Ruth Davidson was having with Theresa May and Amber Rudd had finished. The three women stood up from their seats by the long table of the office and went across the room, to the couch where Hilda, Finn and Meredith were.

“Looks like our children are having so much fun, huh?” Ruth remarked as she saw Hilda, Finn and Meredith play with Larry the Cat

“I take that my daughter has introduced them to the Chief Mouser.” Theresa said, “Hilda treats Larry like she’s one of our own, even if he’s not a family pet, but rather, he’s being taken care of by civil servants.”

“Mummy!” Hilda said upon seeing her mother, “Finn and Meredith love Larry!”

“They sure do!” Theresa told Hilda.

“It’s a good thing that Larry is affectionate with Finn and Meredith.” Philip told Theresa, “Because Larry isn’t usually friendly with people he’s just met. He even scratched a journalist who was here for the first time!”

“That’s because you and Hilda keeping an eye on him, and because I’m in this room.” Theresa said, “That cat usually behaves when you, I, or Hilda are around.”

“Maybe I should call one of you the next time I catch Larry fighting Palmerston, maybe then, those cats would already stop fighting even before I physically separate them from each other.” Amber told Theresa, Philip and Hilda, “I’ve stopped Larry and Palmerston from fighting numerous times, and thank goodness I’ve never been scratched by either cats in the process yet.”

“So you’re not only Deputy Prime Minister, but also Chief Bouncer when the cats fight.” Ruth said with a chuckle

“Well, that’s only when those two cats fight in front of me.” Amber said, “Other cabinet members have also had their fair share of stopping those cats from fighting. In fact, Philip Hammond had to stop them from fighting a few days ago.”

“I’ve only had a dog.” Ruth spoke, “So I have no experience with having to tame a cat who’s picking a fight with another cat.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you should go get Finn a dog and name him Jake?” Amber asked with a giggle

“Oh, I’ve had people ask me that before.” Ruth said, “First of all, Amber, we’re good with having one dog for now, and secondly, I know that’s a reference to a cartoon series that ended last year.” She added, referring to Adventure Time, a cartoon series whose protagonists are a human named Finn and a dog named Jake.

“Well, I’ve babysitted Nicola Formby’s twins, of course I know that I just made reference to a cartoon series.” Amber told Ruth, acknowledging the fact that Ruth knew that she was making reference to Adventure Time, “and that cartoon series happens to be a favorite of her twins.”

“Well now you’ve got a story to tell them.” Ruth said, “That their Auntie Amber has met the future First Minister of Scotland, who has a son named Finn with a dog whose name is obviously not Jake.” She added with a chuckle.

“Mama!” Finn called out with his arms outstretched, to which Ruth responded to by carrying him in one arm. Then, she carried Meredith with her other arm.

Once Finn was carried by his mother, he then reached his hand out to Amber, who stood behind his mother.

“Finn, tell your mummy to get you a dog named Jake, okay?” Amber told Finn

“Dog!” Finn said, “Dog!”

“Yes, that’s right, a dog.” Amber said, “Tell your mummy to get you a dog. Name it Jake, okay?”

“Okay!” Finn said

“Amber please,” Ruth said, giggling, “Leave my son out of your nonsense.”

“But it only makes sense for him to have a dog named Jake!” Amber playfully protested

“Sorry to interrupt your childish banter,” Theresa told Amber, “But Ruth needs to catch a train back to Edinburgh.”

Ruth then did an “in your face” look towards Amber, then she said, “That’s right Prime Minister, I should really get going.”

“I hope to see you when I visit Scotland again.” Theresa told Ruth

“I hope to see you there too.” Ruth told Theresa

 “How about me?” Amber asked Ruth, playfully pouting at her

“Yes, I hope to see you there too.” Ruth told Amber, “But you better not be bringing a puppy along with you and insisting that I adopt it and name it Jake.”

“You have my word.” Amber said with a smile

“Have a safe trip, Ruth!” Theresa told Ruth

“I will!” Ruth told Theresa, walking out of the office with both of her children in her arms afterwards

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now at the living room watching BBC News at Six where coverage of Andrew Scheer’s swearing-in as the 24th Prime Minister of Canada was being shown. Theresa was seated in the middle, while Hilda sat on her left, and Philip sat on her right.

“Andrew Scheer has just been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Canada.” George Alagiah, the news presenter for BBC News at Six said, “We have Laura Trevelyan in Ottawa to tell us more about Prime Minister Andrew Scheer’s swearing-in, Laura.”

“Yes George, we are about to witness Andrew Scheer’s first speech as the Prime Minister of Canada.” Laura Trevelyan said, “Earlier today, he was sworn in as the Prime Minister, with his cabinet being sworn in as well. Right now, as I said, Prime Minister Andrew Scheer is going to give his first speech after being sworn-in. An interesting fact is that Andrew Scheer is now the second youngest Prime Minister of Canada at the age of 40. That record of course, was previously held by his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, who was forty-four when he was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Canada. For reference, the youngest Prime Minister of Canada is Joe Clark, who was sworn in as Prime Minister a day before his 40th birthday.”

“Mummy, how old do you have to be to become Prime Minister?” Hilda asked her mother

“Well, as long as you’re eighteen years old or above, a Member of the Parliament and a Party Leader, then you can become Prime Minister.” Theresa told Hilda

“Wow!” Hilda remarked, “How old were you when you became Prime Minister?”

“I was sixty years old when I became the Prime Minister.” Theresa told Hilda

“And sixty is higher than eighteen!” Hilda said, “So you are still old enough to be Prime Minister!”

“That’s right!” Theresa said

“Prime Minister Andrew Scheer has just exited the Rideau Hall. Now he is going to give a speech at the podium just outside the building.” Laura said, after which, the camera focused on Andrew Scheer, who was now standing behind the podium, ready to make his first speech as Prime Minister.

“Good afternoon Canada, we are now entering a new chapter. _Bon après-midi Canada, nous entrons maintenant dans un nouveau chapitre_.” Andrew Scheer proceeded to say, “I thank you all for trusting me to become your Prime Minister. _Je vous remercie tous de m'avoir fait confiance pour devenir votre premier minister_. As your new Prime Minister, I commit to deliver all the promises that I have made during the election season. It is my duty to ensure that every Canadian gets to live in a Canada that is safe and prosperous. First of all, this government is going to commit to expediting the process for the entry of the Christian Refugees from the Middle East. This is to continue Canada’s ongoing action of providing a safe place to relocate for refugees fleeing from war in the Middle East. Secondly, this government commits to increase the benefits for Canadian families from coast to coast. This government also commits to reform the education system of Canada into one that benefits every Canadian, no matter which province they live in…”

“This is only his first day as Prime Minister but Andrew Scheer is already showing the Canadian people that they chose the right party to form the government.” Theresa commented, “Those policies that Andrew has been committing to carry out are policies that he has been an advocate for even before becoming Prime Minister.”

“I do hope that he would not stop in carrying out those policies.” Philip said, “Some Prime Ministers promise to carry out the policies they’ve been fighting for, but they do not actually carry it out because of self-interests.” He added, referring to Theresa’s predecessors who eventually broke a lot of their promises to the British people as soon as they could.

“Andrew is not afraid to stand his ground,” Theresa said, “He will get through with this well. Unlike his predecessor who turned out to be the complete opposite of how he campaigned himself to the Canadian people.”

“Don’t even get me started about how he thinks that the entire India is a Bollywood movie set.” Philip said, referring to the mockery that Justin Trudeau did during his state visit in India the previous year which involved him treating traditional Indian garments like fashion statements, and him treating bhangra like a punchline.

“Not to mention that he cared more about doing superficial things during that state visit.” Theresa went on, “When the right thing for him to do was to focus more on the reason he was there, which was to strengthen Canada’s diplomatic relations with India.”

“…This government also commits to strengthen Canada’s ties with our allies, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union.” Andrew Scheer continued, “The future of Canada is guaranteed to be safe and prosperous under this government. _L’avenir du Canada est assuré d’être en sécurité et prospère sous ce gouvernement_. Let us rise up together for a stronger Canada. _Levons-nous ensemble pour un Canada plus fort_. Thank you! _Merci_!”

“That has been Andrew Scheer’s first speech as Prime Minster of Canada.” Laura Trevelyan said, “Now, he will be taking questions from the members of the press.”

“Neil Macdonald for CBC News.” Neil Macdonald, one of the correspondents for CBC’s The National said, “How many Christian Refugees from the Middle East is Canada going to accept under your government?”

“Thank you Neil, that is a wonderful question.” Andrew Scheer said, “Right now, this government is committing to accepting 20,000 Christian Refugees. That number could go higher depending on how many of these refugees still remain in refugee camps. We could accept more, especially if other countries that accept refugees do not let these refugees into their countries. I would like to let these Christian Refugees, and every refugee know, that they are welcomed in Canada. Moreover, I encourage other countries that accept refugees from the Middle East to accept Christian Refugees as well. This is not just Canada’s responsibility, but the responsibility of every other nation that is capable of accepting refugees as well.”

“Nick Bryant for BBC America.” Nick Bryant, one of the correspondents for BBC America said, “How does your government plan to strengthen Canada’s ties with the United Kingdom?”

“Thank you Nick for that question.” Andrew Scheer said, “First and foremost, I will be inviting the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to make a state visit here in Canada. Details about this state visit are still being finalized and once these details have been finalized, the Prime Minister’s Office will proceed with the next steps in organizing the state visit. Secondly, we plan to enhance our diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom through more trade deals and cultural exchanges.”

“Wonderful!” Theresa said, “Andrew is on the right track with strengthening his country’s diplomatic ties with our country’s!”

“We were talking about taking him to a game of the British National Hockey Team when you get to invite him to a state visit here.” Philip told Theresa, referring to a conversation that they had after Andrew Scheer won the Canadian federal elections, “That could be a form of cultural exchange!”

“How about a United Kingdom versus Canada hockey game when he makes the state visit here?” Theresa asked, “That could be arranged. We could also ask him if a United Kingdom versus Canada cricket game can be arranged for the state visit to Canada that he is inviting me to.”

“That’s a great idea!” Philip said

“A United Kingdom versus Canada football game would work as well.” Theresa told Philip

“That’s a great idea too!” Philip told Theresa

“Mummy, how soon are we going to Canada?” Hilda asked

“Really soon, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda, “Mr. Scheer is just finalizing the details for the state visit to Canada that I’ll be making.”

“I’m so excited for that, mummy!” Hilda told her mother, “Then we can buy some clothes for the babies in Canada!”

“Hilda’s right!” Philip said, “Remember those maple leaf print onesies we got for Hilda when we were there? We should get the same for Olivia and Oliver.”

“We could consider that.” Theresa said as she put her palm on top of her belly, “After all, the onesies that we got for Hilda are too large for a newborn since she was 10 months old when we bought her the onesies.”

“Hear that, Olivia and Oliver.” Hilda said as she put her palm on the left side of her mother’s belly, “We’re buying you clothes when we go to Canada!”

“I’m only pregnant for eight weeks, and we’re already having plans of buying a lot of clothes for Olivia and Oliver!” Theresa remarked, “We surely love these babies so much, don’t we, Philip?”

“Of course we do!” Philip said as he put his palm on top of the right side of Theresa’s belly, “We only want the best for these two, just like we want the best for Hilda!”

“Now I’m even more excited for the state visit!” Theresa said, “We’d be visiting Canada, now as a family of five!”

“And I’ll get you all the poutine and maple syrup that you want!” Philip told Theresa, “That is, if you’d be craving for those while we’re in Canada.”

“I’d love to have those, love!” Theresa said, “and I’m sure we will be able to find those while we’re there.”

“We love you, mummy!” Hilda and Philip said, hugging Theresa afterwards

“I love you both, too!” Theresa told Hilda and Philip

“And of course, we love the two of you too!” Theresa and Philip said, referring to Olivia and Oliver

Theresa then wrapped her husband and her daughter in an embrace, with the both of them embracing her as well. The Mays could not wait to visit Canada once again, now with two more additions to their family.


	47. State Visit Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the state visit to Canada officially pushing through, Theresa May relays the news to her family and invites Fiona Hill and Owen Jones to join the official press pool for the state visit.

_November 15, 2019_

Fiona Hill and Owen Jones were meeting up at a Costa Coffee in Westminster to catch up with each other. The week has been exciting for the both of them. At the start of the week, they were both invited to cover the launch of Beulah London’s Winter Collection. On Wednesday that week, Owen had a gig as a panelist for Sky News’ coverage of the Prime Minister’s Questions. On the same day, Fiona was invited to speak at the university where she graduated from.

“I’m happy to say that accepting Beulah London’s invitation to cover the launch of their Winter Collection was a great decision!” Fiona told Owen, “We even got to take home some goodies!”

“Those scarves they gave away to us are fabulous!” Owen remarked, “I’m sure my sister will like the petrol blue scarf that got. I’m sending the scarf over to her this weekend!”

“The blush pink Cashmere blend scarf they gave me is a wonderful addition to my closet!” Fiona said with joy

Then, as they were talking animatedly, Fiona’s phone suddenly rang. Checking the screen, Fiona saw that the caller was none other than the Prime Minister herself. Fiona then answered the phone.

“Hello Prime Minister!” Fiona said in her usual perky voice, “What can I help you with today?”

“The Prime Minister of Canada and I have already reached an agreement.” Theresa told Fiona over the phone, “The state visit to Canada is taking place at the end of this month.”

“Are you the first world leader that he’s inviting over to Canada?” Fiona asked

“Yes, I am the first world leader that he is inviting over to Canada.” Theresa replied, “After all, Canada is one of our major allies, and Canada sees us the same way as well. He is only doing what is ought to be done.”

“I’m so happy for you, Prime Minister!” Fiona said as her eyes sparkled. As Owen watched her eyes sparkle, he could not help but notice how amazing she looks.

“Fiona, I called to extend you an invitation to be a part of the press pool of the British delegation.” Theresa said, “and I also intend to extend the same invitation to Owen Jones.”

“Owen is here, I think you should tell him too!” Fiona told Theresa excitedly. She knew what this meant, she’s going to fly to Canada at the end of the month, with Owen.

Fiona then passed her phone over to Owen, who was jokingly asked by Theresa, “Aren’t you supposed to be with Jeremy Corbyn?”

Owen replied, saying with a laugh, “Well yeah, I-I don’t follow Jeremy Corbyn around 24/7. I’m not his personal assistant.”

Theresa then reverted to a serious tone, telling Owen, “I’ve told Miss Hill that she is joining the press pool of the British delegation on our upcoming state visit to Canada at the end of this month. I would like to extend the same invitation to you, Mr. Jones.”

Owen was shocked. This was the first time that she was invited by the Prime Minister to join the official press pool. He was always not invited, probably because he is too obviously an opposition journalist, or probably because he hasn’t been in the field of journalism as long as Laura Kuenssberg, or Robert Peston.

“W-well yes Prime Minister, o-of course I’d love to join the press pool.” Owen said, struggling to keep a straight face as Fiona laughed at him, “It’s an honor, really! I-I’m looking forward to it!”

“Very well then, Mr. Jones.” Theresa said, “I expect you to turn in your credentials to Number Ten by next week.”

“Got it, Prime Minister.” Owen replied, before giving Fiona back her phone.

Fiona then got her phone back from Owen, and then Theresa told her, “I’ve told Mr. Jones to turn in his credentials to Number Ten next week, I am asking for you to do the same.”

“Duly noted, Prime Minister.” Fiona replied

“Now, I still have some work to do.” Theresa said, “I hope to speak again to you soon!”

“Likewise, Prime Minister.” Fiona said with a smile, after which, the call ended.

“We’ve made it Fiona!” Owen told Fiona, “We’re now in the same level as Peston and Kuenssberg!”

“All the work we did paid off!” Fiona told Owen, “See, us working together on that magazine piece about small businesses in post-Brexit Britain was a great idea!”

“It opened us doors to better opportunities!” Owen said, “Who would have thought that we’d get invited to a designer brand’s product launch after that?”

“And now we’re getting invited to cover a state visit as part of the Prime Minister’s press pool!” Fiona spoke

“I’m not quite sure if Jeremy’s going to be proud of me for this.” Owen said, “Me, covering for the Establishment.”

“It’s not like he’s not in the Establishment himself.” Fiona reminded Owen, “He’s been a Member of Parliament since the 1980s, and he’s never taken a break from being one, whether he’ll acknowledge it or not, he _is_ , in a way, in the Establishment too!”

“You’re probably right.” Owen told Fiona, “and I do have a background of being in the Establishment. I graduated from Oxford, yet Jeremy doesn’t have a problem with that!”

“See!” Fiona told Owen, “Jeremy is not going to be upset at you for joining the press pool.”

Hearing Fiona’s reassurance gave Owen more confidence to take on his new role, as a member of the Prime Minister’s press pool for her Canada state visit. Fiona herself was also taking a new role, as the last time she had been part of a state visit, she was the Special Adviser to the Prime Minister. Now, she is part of a state visit as a member of the press pool.

* * *

_Maidenhead_

The Mays had returned to their family home in Maidenhead for the weekend. Now, they were having dinner where Theresa made an important announcement.

“As you all know, the state visit to Canada is pushing through.” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, “And you two are joining the trip!”

Hilda and Philip both cheered. Joining a state visit always excited them, because it meant they got to fly to another country as a family. Particularly, for Theresa and Philip, such opportunity enables them to show Hilda the world outside of the United Kingdom – as they hope to pass on to her their love for travelling to other countries.

“Mummy, daddy says that Canada has a lot of snow.” Hilda said, “Do we get to see a lot of snow there?”

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa said, “In fact, it’s close to Winter so we’ll definitely be seeing snow when we get there.”

“Andrew Scheer better take us to a _Cabane á sucre_. His predecessor didn’t take us there the last time we were there!” Philip said, “And it was also the peak season for _Cabane á sucre_ the last time we were there!”

“I’m sure Andrew is going to take us there.” Theresa told Philip, “After all, he wants to improve Canada’s tourism industry.”

“Mummy, what’s a _Cabane á sucre_?” Hilda asked her mother

“It’s where the sap of sugar maple trees get boiled into maple syrup.” Theresa explained, “Your daddy and I have heard a lot about it, but we have yet to go to one.”

“Maple syrup, isn’t that what we put on our pancakes?” Hilda asked, recalling those times when she had pancakes and one of her parents would put some maple syrup on top of the pancakes.

“Yes sweetie, we put maple syrup on our pancakes.” Theresa replied

“So maple syrup is made in a _Cabane á sucre_?” Hilda asked once more

“That’s right, maple syrup is made in a _Cabane á sucre_!” Theresa told Hilda

“We’re going to have fresh maple syrup when we get to visit a _Cabane á sucre_!” Philip announced, “That’s going to be exciting!”

“That’s right, Philip!” Theresa said, “Now, Andrew Scheer has also said that he’s taking us to a hockey game sometime during the visit, and that we would get to meet his family. While I’m on a meeting with him, his wife and children are taking you and Hilda to an excursion.”

“I’m looking forward to it!” Philip told Theresa, “Now, how are Olivia and Oliver doing?”

“Well, they made me crave for chips earlier today.” Theresa said with a giggle, “So that’s how I had two orders of chips delivered to my office.”

“Seems like they’ve made you crave for the lasagne that we’re having tonight.” Philip commented, “You just had two servings!”

“I want nothing but the best for our babies, of course!” Theresa told Philip, “That’s why they can have all the lasagna they want!”

Theresa then put her palm on top of her belly and said, “Your daddy and I will always give you the best.”

“And we sure will!” Philip said, putting his arm around Theresa’s shoulders after moving his seat closer to hers.

There is more excitement for the Mays now that the state visit to Canada was confirmed to be pushing through. They could not wait for the good things that the trip would bring to them – from Theresa succeeding in strengthening the United Kingdom’s ties with Canada, to the rest of the family getting to see the sights in Canada that they haven’t seen the last time they were there.

* * *

_Rideau Cottage, Ottawa, Canada_

“Jill, the state visit of the British Prime Minister to our country is pushing through!” Andrew Scheer announced joyfully to his wife, Jill

“I’m so excited for that, dear.” Jill said, “I really am!”

“I told the Prime Minister that besides the meetings that I’m having with her, we are also taking her and her family to a hockey game.” Andrew told Jill, “I’m sure she and her family will enjoy it. After all, she is no stranger to sports.”

“Isn’t Mary about the same age as her daughter?” Jill asked Andrew, referring to the fact that their youngest daughter and Theresa’s daughter, Hilda, were born in the same year.

“Yes, Mary and Hilda are of the same age.” Andrew told Jill

“That’s amazing! Mary could have a new friend, who’s also the same age as she is.” Jill said, “I’m sure Mary would be happy to meet Hilda.”

“I’m sure she would be!” Andrew spoke

“So, what else are our plans for that state visit?” Jill asked Andrew, “The Prime Minister and her husband are huge fans of cricket. Should we take them to a cricket game?”

“Well, considering that cricket is trying to regain its relevance in Canada…” Andrew told Jill, “I think taking them to a cricket game would be a way of helping Cricket Canada gain momentum.”

“Hockey is our most popular sport, but that doesn’t mean we should sweep all other sports being played here under the rug.” Jill said, “So yes, inviting the Prime Minister and her family to a cricket game here in Canada is a good call!”

“Should we take them to a _Cabane á sucre_ in Quebec as well?” Andrew asked Jill

“We should do that too.” Jill replied in the affirmative, “After all, this is the perfect time of the year to take them to a _Cabane á sucre_. You might want to take them to _Érablière le Chemin du Roy_. It’s one of the best and it has historical significance, which I’m sure, is something that the Prime Minister and her husband would appreciate a lot.”

“Well then, I’m going to have to arrange for those later today – the cricket game and a reservation at the _Érablière le Chemin du Roy_.” Andrew said, “Thank you for the feedback, dear! I really appreciate it!”

“You’re welcome, dear!” Jill told Andrew, “This state visit that you’re inviting the British Prime Minister to is going to be a success!”

Andrew and Jill Scheer are looking forward to the British Prime Minister’s state visit to Canada. In looking forward to it, they are doing what they can to ensure that the British Prime Minister, as well as her family, would have positive feedback for the activities they have prepared for them.


	48. An Evening in Heathrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is the day of the flight for Theresa May’s state visit to Canada and excitement is bubbling up at the Heathrow Airport for Theresa, her family, four of her cabinet members and the press pool.

_November 27, 2019 – London Heathrow Airport_

Theresa May and her family were now at the London Heathrow Airport after she had her weekly audience with the Queen. She and her family were at the airport because they are leaving for Canada for the state visit.

The Mays are currently at the pre-departure area that was designated for them, selected cabinet members, and the press pool who are flying to Canada for the state visit.

“Mummy, when are we getting in the plane?” Hilda asked her mother gleefully

“We should be getting into the plane in an hour.” Theresa told Hilda, “I know that you are very excited to visit Canada again. Just stay patient, we’ll be getting there soon.” She added, reassuring her.

“Do you need anything to eat, love?” Philip asked Theresa

“I’m not hungry right now.” Theresa said with a smile

“Andrew and Jill must be very excited to see us already.” Philip told Theresa

“And we’re excited to see them too.” Theresa told Philip

Meanwhile, Owen Jones had just arrived at the designated pre-departure area. He was clearly fresh from an assembly for he was still carrying pamphlets, and his hair was still unkempt. He ran towards where the press pool congregated, hoping that he had not missed anything.

“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late!” Owen said as he settled by where the press pool congregated, “Is there anything I missed?”

“Well, you didn’t miss anything. We had to wait until you arrived before we could start orienting the newbies to the press pool.” Laura Kuenssberg said, obviously dismayed at the fact that Robbie Gibb, the Communications Director for 10 Downing Street, could not start orienting the newcomers to the press pool until everyone was complete.

“Looks like someone is fresh from a socialist assembly.” Fiona Hill said as she walked towards Owen. In contrast to Owen, her hair was neatly in place, and she was obviously there on time.

“Nobody said I couldn’t show up to one before I get here.” Owen told Fiona in a sassy tone.

Fiona then got a pamphlet from Owen and started to read the front page aloud, “Post-Brexit United Kingdom can only be saved by Socialism.” Then, she said, “I disagree with that, Owen. Clearly you have not noticed that the Conservative government that’s currently in power has done wonders for post-Brexit Britain. You’ve seen that first hand when we did those interviews for The Spectator.”

“Well, just because I have that pamphlet doesn’t mean I 100% agree with everything it says.” Owen went on to declare, “For instance, I don’t agree that we should put taxes on everything to increase funding for public services.”

“Well, Owen Jones is finally saying something that makes sense!” Beth Rigby, the Deputy Political Editor for Sky News said, clapping afterwards.

“Everybody is already here. It’s time for me to orient the newcomers to the press pool.” Robbie Gibb, the Communications Director for 10 Downing Street announced.

Then, the newcomers to the press pool, which included Fiona and Owen, congregated together on one side of the pre-departure area for the orientation. Robbie started off by introducing himself, then to break the ice, he also asked the newcomers to introduce themselves to each other. He figured out that it needed to be done so that they would be able to work together much easily – considering that most of them are seeing each other for the first time.

“Now, we would be joining the Prime Minister, her family, and some cabinet members during official events throughout the trip.” Robbie explained, “In some activities, we would be invited to join, but we do not have to cover anything. We need to unwind, just as the Prime Minister, her family, and the cabinet members who are with us on this trip need to unwind.”

“If we order from room service, is it going to get charged to 10 Downing Street?” Owen asked Robbie, which led to other newcomers of the press pool laughing at him, and some of them talking about how Owen is a socialist, and therefore, he would get every chance to have the state pay for his expenses.

“To answer your question, no.” Robbie said as a matter-of-factly, “If any of you want to order from room service, you’ll have to pay for it yourself.”

“You are part of the British delegation of this trip, so essentially, you are representing the United Kingdom. Keep in mind that any misconduct you’d do is a liability to the government.” Robbie said, “So do not try to do anything stupid like causing mischief, even if such mischief isn’t illegal in Canada, well you get my point.”

Then, Robbie said, “Any questions?”

The newcomers to the press pool remained silent, and after a few moments, Robbie said, “Well, I guess there are no more questions. If anyone wants to ask me a question later, just feel free to approach me.”

Amber Rudd was seated along with Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid and Claire Perry in the pre-departure area that was designated for those who were joining the state visit to Canada. Amber, Philip, Sajid and Claire were among the cabinet members who were chosen to accompany the Prime Minister to the state visit.

“Andrew Scheer seems promising.” Amber told the three other cabinet members with her, “He went as far as promising to strengthen Canada’s relations with the UK on his first speech as Prime Minister after being sworn in.”

“I do hope he does exactly what he’s been saying.” Claire said, “We can’t have a bad deal. Trudeau would have given us a bad deal if he won this time. It’s only a good thing that his government did not finish the draft of the deal they intended to offer to us in time before their election season began.”

“That draft was horrendous.” Philip Hammond said with utmost conviction, “Then again, what do you expect from a man who has become the darling of those who doubted that we’d survive Brexit.”

“He even tried to get us to sign a treaty that would allow Canada to extradite terrorists who are citizens of Canada who are hiding in our country.” Sajid said, “As you all know, we couldn’t bring ourselves to sign that treaty, knowing that Canada, under his government, has a record of not being firm with punishing terrorists. At least when we’re the ones who get to arrest such terrorists, we’d actually punish them for their atrocities.”

“If Scheer re-introduces that treaty, and he can actually promise us that he’d have such terrorists punished, I say we should agree to that treaty.” Amber told Sajid, “and I’m confident he’d have such terrorists punished if he offers us that treaty and we agree to sign it.”

“So, Fiona Hill and Owen Jones are in the press pool.” Claire told Amber, Sajid and Philip Hammond, “Are we going to expect a debate at the plane?”

“I don’t think there’s going to be any debate.” Amber told Claire, “Those two,” she said, pausing for a bit, before continuing, “seem to be dating.”

“Well, that’s unlikely!” Claire told Amber, “Owen Jones is gay.”

“Well, Fiona and Owen have been staying close to each other lately.” Amber said, “I’ve spotted them at a Mexican restaurant in Islington.”

“Well, they could have just happened to be there at the same time!” Claire protested

“They were eating there together.” Amber told Claire

“Well, that’s not enough proof that Fiona Hill and Owen Jones seem to be dating.” Claire said, “For all we know, they only have a professional relationship. They did collaborate on an article for The Spectator.”

“I beg to disagree, Perry.” Amber told Claire, pointing out to Fiona and Owen, who were standing close to each other and laughing – with Fiona’s arms around Owen’s shoulders.

“They could be just best friends.” Claire told Amber

“Sure, Claire.” Amber said with a giggle

* * *

The Mays, as well as Amber Rudd, Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid, Claire Perry and the members of the press pool have boarded in the plane that would take them to Canada for the state visit. The Mays were seated in a separate section of the plane where they had first class seats. Amber, Philip Hammond, Sajid, and Claire were also seated in a separate section, with first class seats as well. Meanwhile, the press pool were seated in a separate section with economy class seats – since there were twenty of them.

Dinner had just been served to everyone in the flight, and now, the Mays were preparing to go to sleep. They still have a long day ahead when the state visit starts.

“You know, it’s my first time to go on a long flight while pregnant.” Theresa told Philip in a soft voice, “We’ve got nothing to worry about though, Doctor Campbell said that flying during your first trimester is fine.”

“I’m sure Olivia and Oliver are enjoying this flight just as much as we are.” Philip told Theresa

“It’s already the twelfth week, which means we can actually start buying clothes for the babies.” Theresa told Philip with glee, “We’re going to get them the maple leaf print onesies like what I said.”

“I do hope we get to drop by that shop where we got Hilda’s maple leaf print onesies.” Philip said, “That shop is in Ottawa, and we’re heading to Ottawa so we should be able to shop for those onesies.”

“Mummy, are we going shopping for the babies?” Hilda asked her mother

“We sure are!” Theresa told Hilda, “We’ll buy them some clothes while we’re in Ottawa. Would you like to help mummy and daddy pick some clothes for them?”

“Yes!” Hilda piped up in an excited tone. No one is as excited as her parents as she is when it comes to the babies.

“That’s great to hear, sweetie!” Theresa told her daughter, “Now, we should really get sleeping. We still have a long day ahead.”

Then, Theresa asked, “Now, shall we make our bedtime prayers?”

Hilda and Philip then nodded in agreement, and Hilda proceeded to say a bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, watch and guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning light.”

And all together, Theresa, Philip and Hilda said “Amen.”

“Good night mummy and daddy.” Hilda told her parents

“Good night, Hilda.” Theresa and Philip said in unison, giving her a bedtime kiss on the forehead afterwards

“Good night, Theresa.” Philip told Theresa, kissing her on the forehead

“Good night, Philip.” Theresa told Philip, kissing him on the forehead as well

The Mays then went asleep, looking forward to the next five hours when they arrive to Canada for the state visit. Everyone else who are joining the state visit are looking forward to what’s going to happen in the next five hours as well.


	49. A Second Visit to Canada

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mays arrive in Ottawa for Theresa May’s state visit after Andrew Scheer gets sworn as the new Prime Minister of Canada.

_November 28, 2019 – Ottawa, Canada_

It was already past nine in the evening when the plane that Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is in landed in Ottawa. The Prime Minister of Canada, Andrew Scheer, his First Lady, Jill Scheer, along with members of his cabinet were already waiting by the runway for the British Prime Minister’s arrival.

The red carpet has been rolled out and the airstair for the plane that the British Prime Minister is in is already in place. All that needed to happen now was for the plane to park and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to get down from the plane.

Meanwhile, in the plane, the members of the press pool were already in anticipation as the plane was about to park on the runway. One could see the Prime Minister of Canada, the First Lady of Canada, and his cabinet members, all lined up on the runway, awaiting the arrival of the British Prime Minister.

“Well, this is it!” Fiona Hill remarked, “We are finally in Ottawa. We’re about to meet the new Canadian Prime Minister!”

“He looks nice on the telly.” Owen commented, “I hope he’s actually nice in real life.”

“Mr. Scheer is a nice man, as long as you don’t try to do anything stupid in his presence.” Robbie Gibb told Owen, putting an emphasis on telling him not to do anything stupid in the Canadian Prime Minister’s presence.

“and as long as you don’t try to do anything stupid in his country.” Laura Kuenssberg added, which resulted to the press pool erupting in laughter.

Then, the plane finally parked. The front door of the plane was then opened, then Theresa exited the plane, clad in a black winter coat and a blue scarf, with Hilda beside her, who is clad in a navy blue winter coat and a baby blue scarf. Walking behind her and Hilda is her husband, Philip, who had a black winter coat and a blue scarf on as well.

The three went down the airstairs and when they reached the ground, Theresa was greeted by Andrew, who shook her hand, after which, it was Jill’s turn to greet Theresa, who shook her hand as well. Hilda and Philip were greeted by Andrew and Jill as well.

“Welcome to Canada, Prime Minister.” Andrew told Theresa as he and Jill walked alongside her and her family.

“Thank you for extending your invitation for a state visit, Mr. Scheer.” Theresa told Andrew

“As you have noticed, it’s really cold here. The temperature is currently at five degrees Celsius tonight, that’s way colder than winter in the United Kingdom as I’ve been told.” Andrew said, “But don’t worry, the heaters in Rideau Cottage are working well so you, Philip and Hilda won’t feel chilly during the evenings.”

“Andrew and I are born in raised in Canada, we’re already used to this.” Jill told Theresa and Philip, “But sometimes, we still find it chilly during the evenings.”

Then, Theresa went on to shake the hands of the cabinet ministers who were on the runway as Andrew and Jill continued to talk to Philip and Hilda. After all of that was done, Andrew and Jill showed the Mays the car that they would be taking them to Rideau Cottage.

After being shown into the car, the Mays got inside the car. Then, Andrew and Jill got inside their car that was in front the car that the Mays are in. After that, the convoy was now off to Rideau Cottage – the Prime Minister’s residence, and where the Mays will be staying in during the state visit.

* * *

_Rideau Cottage_

After the 21-minute drive from the airport, the Mays, and Andrew and Jill, were now in Rideau Cottage. As attendants in Rideau Cottage took care of the Mays’ luggage, Andrew and Jill decided to take the Mays into the official residence.

“Welcome to our humble abode!” Jill told the Mays

“Nothing much has changed here since the last time you three visited.” Andrew told the Mays

“Well except the people living in it.” Jill said, laughing afterwards, “Last time you went here, a Liberal lived here. Now, it’s a Conservative that lives here.”

Just as Andrew, Jill and the Mays were walking into Rideau Cottage, two of Andrew and Jill’s children started to race down the stairs.

“Madeline, wait up!” Thomas, the oldest of Andrew and Jill’s children said as he followed his younger sister down the stairs.

“Now, why are you two still up?” Jill asked Thomas and Madeline, “It’s already past your bedtime.”

“We were waiting for you and daddy to come home.” Madeline told her mother, “and don’t worry about Mary, Grace and Henry and the nanny are looking after her.”

“Since you two are already here, why don’t I introduce you to our guests for the next few days.” Andrew told Thomas and Madeline, “Thomas, Madeline, meet the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May. She is here with her husband, Philip, and their daughter, Hilda.”

Madeline went up to Theresa, offering her hand and saying, “Good evening, Mrs. May. I’m Madeline Scheer. I’m the eldest daughter of the family. It’s nice to meet you!”

Theresa shook Madeline’s hand, saying, “Hello Madeline! It’s nice to meet you too!”

Then, Thomas introduced himself to Theresa, saying “Good evening, Mrs. May. I’m Thomas Scheer. I’m the oldest child of the family. It’s nice to meet you!”

Theresa also shook Thomas’ hand, saying, “Hello Thomas! It’s nice to meet you too!”

Madeline then went up to Philip, also offering her hand and saying, “Good evening Mr. May. I’m Madeline Scheer. I’m the eldest daughter of the family. It’s nice to meet you!”

Philip shook Madeline’s hand, saying, “Hello Madeline! It’s nice to meet you too!”

Thomas also did the same, going up to Philip and offering his hand, saying, “Good evening Mr. May, I’m Thomas Scheer. I’m the oldest child of the family. It’s nice to meet you!”

Philip also shook Thomas’ hand, saying, “Hello Thomas, It’s nice to meet you too!”

Hilda then walked up to both Thomas and Madeline, telling them, “Good evening. I’m Hilda May and I’m two years old!”

“Hello Hilda!” Madeline told Hilda, offering her hand for her to shake, “I’m Madeline Scheer, I’m twelve years old.”

Hilda shook Madeline’s hand afterwards.

Then, Thomas said, “Hello Hilda!” and then he offered his hand for her to shake and added, “I’m Thomas Scheer. I’m fourteen years old!”

Hilda shook Thomas’ hand afterwards as well.

“Now, Thomas and Madeline, will you two help us show the Mays their room for the next few days?” Jill asked her son and her daughter.

“Yes mum!” Thomas and Madeline said in unison.

Then, Andrew and Jill, and their children, Thomas and Madeline, showed the Mays their room, which was on the second floor of Rideau Cottage. It was a different guest room from the one that the Mays stayed in when they visited Canada three years ago.

“If you three need anything, feel free to inform me or Andrew.” Jill told the Mays, “and we’d love to have you three join us for breakfast tomorrow, at eight in the morning.”

“Thank you Jill,” Theresa said, “Thank you Andrew. We’ll be joining your family for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Have a good night, Prime Minister and family!” Jill told the Mays.

“Have a good night as well, Andrew and Jill,” Theresa said, “and Thomas and Madeline.”

Theresa then closed the door to the guest room and then, the Mays prepared for bedtime for they have a long day ahead – Theresa with her official meetings, and Philip and Hilda with the excursions.

* * *

_Fairmont Château Laurier_

The cabinet ministers who travelled with Theresa, as well as the press pool, were billeted at Fairmont Château Laurier. While Amber Rudd, Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid and Claire Perry chose to go straight to their suites to rest for the next day, the press pool decided to stay at Zoe’s, the hotel’s lounge.

“You know, this is the first time I’m working alongside with you overseas.” Fiona told Owen after taking a bite of the flourless chocolate cake, “To be honest, I was surprised when I found out that the Prime Minister wanted you on this trip. A socialist journalist, in the press pool of the Prime Minister. Sounds unheard of but it’s possible.”

“I thought I would only get to do this if Corbyn became Prime Minister.” Owen told Fiona after taking a bite of the burger he ordered, “But I was proven wrong. I’m in the press pool, of a Conservative Prime Minister. When I told my sister and brother about the news, all they did was laugh at me for five minutes straight. They thought I was joking, but it’s for real.”

“Well, my family thought I was joking when I told them I was going to work with you on an article for The Spectator.” Fiona told Owen, “They took me seriously eventually, of course. When I told them that both of us made it to the press pool, my siblings could not help but think that we’d make a good couple.”

“Except we’re not dating.” Owen told Fiona, “Even if we’re such close friends. That, of course, is different from dating.”

“Well speaking of dates, there’s a dinner reception on the final night of this trip. It’s a formal black-tie dinner.” Fiona told Owen, “Obviously that means I’ve got to get a date too. Would you be interested?”

Owen fell silent for a while, before telling Fiona, “Of course, I’m interested! Count me in!”

“Well then, you’re my date to the dinner reception!” Fiona told Owen, “Just a word of advice, don’t show up looking like you’re off to a socialist rally.”

“Of course, I won’t!” Owen told Fiona, “Besides, I’ve learned how to pick a good suit from my colleagues at The Guardian. I’m not a clothes-hating socialist, after all.” He added, referring to that time his colleagues made him try on suits for a fashion editorial.

“You know, we’ve got a long day tomorrow. We’re heading to the Parliament Hill.” Owen said, “We’ll get to cover the Prime Minister’s meeting with Andrew Scheer, and the meetings that Amber Rudd, Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid and Claire Perry will be going to.” He added.

“I’m sure things will go well tomorrow, Owen.” Fiona told Owen, “We’ve done well with that article for The Spectator to the point that the Prime Minister made us a part of the press pool. I’m sure we’ll also do well with covering this state visit.”

* * *

_Rideau Cottage_

Philip was singing ABBA songs to Olivia and Oliver once again. When he, and Theresa were not talking to the babies, they were singing to them.

“Daddy, you still sing badly.” Hilda said with a giggle.

“Now Hilda, your daddy is trying his very best!” Theresa said as she rubbed her belly.

Philip stopped singing, telling Hilda, “Your mummy’s right, I am trying my very best!”

“Okay daddy, because you’re trying your very best, keep singing.” Hilda told Philip, who resumed singing.

Then, after Philip had finished singing his heart out to ABBA songs, he put his hand on top of Theresa’s belly, saying, “I hope you two liked my singing. I’m trying my very best.”

Hilda then put her hand on top of her mother’s belly as well, saying, “Please don’t grow up to have a bad singing voice like daddy.”

“Hey, that’s not nice!” Philip said, pouting afterwards.

“Mummy will still love you both whether you sing well or not.” Theresa said as she looked at her belly, rubbing it afterwards.

Then, Theresa told Hilda and Philip, “We should be going to sleep now.”

“You’re right, love.” Philip told Theresa

Then, Theresa asked Hilda to lead the bedtime prayer. Hilda then went on to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May God guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning light.”

Then, the Mays said in unison, “Amen.”

After the bedtime prayer, Hilda then said, “Good night mummy, good night daddy, and good night Olivia and Oliver!”

“Good night, Hilda.” Theresa and Philip said in unison, hugging her afterwards.

Then, Theresa told Philip, “Good night, Philip!”

And Philip replied back, “Good night, Theresa!”

Then, the Mays went to sleep, excited for what is to happen on the next day. Although the weather during the state visit is chilly because it is already Winter in Canada, that would not stop them from making the most out of their stay in that country.


	50. An Excursion and a Negotiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Theresa May and her four cabinet ministers negotiate a trade deal with their Canadian counterparts, her husband, Philip, and their daughter, Hilda, go on an excursion with Andrew Scheer's wife, Jill, and their daughter, Mary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfiction has finally reached its 50th chapter! First of all, to those who have been reading this since I've started writing this in 2016, thank you for continuing to support this fanfic! For those who have only started to read this fanfic, I hope you'll enjoy this! There will be more chapters coming up, so stay tuned!

_November 29, 2019 – Rideau Cottage_

“Mummy, it’s snowing!” Hilda called out

The Mays were preparing for breakfast when Hilda called her parents’ attention. Hilda saw the snow falling from the sky from the window of their guest room. Theresa and Philip then walked near Hilda and they watched the snow fall from the sky as well.

Theresa and Philip noticed Hilda’s excitement over the snow falling from the sky. She did get to see snow during the holidays in the United Kingdom, but not as much snow as she is seeing right now in Canada. The couple watched in glee as their daughter marveled on the sight before her.

“It’s extra chilly today.” Theresa remarked, “It’s a good thing we packed enough to be able to keep warm on this weather.”

“Mummy, can I play outside?” Hilda asked her mother.

“You’ll get to play outside when Mrs. Scheer takes you and your daddy out on an excursion later, I’m sure.” Theresa reassured her daughter.

Hilda squealed in glee at what her mother said. She was going to get to play outside later on.

* * *

After having breakfast with the Scheers, Theresa was now off to her meetings for the day – with Andrew Scheer, and with the Governor General of Canada. Alongside with that is also a meeting that she and her four cabinet members are having with their Canadian counterparts. While all of that is happening, Philip and Hilda are in an excursion arranged by Jill Scheer.

Jill was also joined by her youngest daughter, Mary. Mary and Hilda became quick friends, owing to the fact that they are of close age, and that they are both girls.

They are currently at the Brewer Park. Previously, they visited Maplelawn Garden, a historic house and a former estate that Philip had longed to visit.

“Mary, catch!” Hilda said, throwing a snowball in Mary Scheer’s direction afterwards.

Mary caught the snowball with her two hands, then shouting, “Caught it!”

The two girls giggled afterwards.

Then, Mary took her turn and formed a snowball. This time, she said, “Hilda, catch!”

Mary then threw the snowball towards Hilda’s direction. Hilda moved quickly and caught the snowball with both hands, shouting “Caught it!” afterwards.

“Does it snow in the United Kingdom?” Mary asked Hilda, curious about what winter was like in her country.

“Not so much.” Hilda answered, “But we can still make snowballs and snowmen.”

Philip watched as his daughter played with Jill and Andrew’s. Jill also watched as her daughter played with Theresa and Philip’s.

“It’s amazing that our children became friends so quickly.” Jill remarked, “Mary hasn’t had much friends of the same age group as hers. Mainly because of the security concerns that comes with being in the Prime Minister’s family, and the fact that the kids have just moved from Saskatchewan to Ontario since their father became Prime Minister.”

“Well, in my and Theresa’s case, Hilda was able to gain friends of the same age group as hers. Mostly children from the constituency and the children in the House of Commons daycare.” Philip told Jill, “Of course, there are security concerns but they do not necessarily get in the way of Hilda being able to see her friends.”

“The British House of Commons has a daycare?” Jill asked in a shocked tone. Yes, Canada is a progressive country, but its government has never played around with the idea of establishing a daycare in the House of Commons for the benefit of the children of the Members of Parliament and the staff. Besides, Canada had childcare laws to compensate for that.

“Yes, it does.” Philip said, “Hilda usually spends the day there. Then she has lunch with Theresa and I, because we see to it that we take our meals together whenever we can.”

“I should really tell Andrew to propose a daycare in the House of Commons here.” Jill said, “That would help me a lot with childcare. I mean the kids have a nanny, but there are times when the nanny isn’t available, and that’s where a daycare would be really useful.”

Hilda and Mary were now in the process of building a snowman. The two girls rolled a huge ball of snow, which was the first layer of the snowman. They repeated the process, this time, rolling a medium-sized ball of snow. They tried to carry the medium-sized ball of snow to put it on top of the first layer, but they couldn’t do it themselves.

“Daddy, help!” Hilda called out as she tried help Mary hold on to the ball of snow that was going to go on top of the first layer.

Philip rushed and helped Hilda and Mary put the second layer of the snowman in its place. Then, Jill joined them and helped the girls in putting the third layer of the snowman, a small ball of snow that was going to become the snowman’s head.

“Viola!” Jill said afterwards.

Then, Mary held up two pairs of pebbles to her mother and said, “These are the eyes of the snowman!”

Jill then took the pebbles from her daughter’s hand and asked, “Would you like me to put them on the snowman’s face for you?”

“Yes please!” Mary said. Then, Jill worked on putting the pebbles on the head of the snowman. Now, the snowman had eyes.

Next, Mary gave her mother a toy carrot, which became the snowman’s nose. Then, Jill asked Mary, “Would you like to be the one to draw on the snowman’s mouth?”

“Sure!” Mary told her mother. So, Jill gave Mary a small stick, and then she carefully carried her so that she could draw the snowman’s mouth.

After drawing the snowman’s mouth, Jill set Mary down the ground. Afterwards, Mary gave Jill three more stones which Jill placed on the middle of the snowman’s second layer in a vertical manner. The three stones served as buttons. Then Jill, Mary, Philip and Hilda looked at the snowman.

“It doesn’t have arms yet!” Hilda said.

“You’re right.” Mary replied, upon noticing that the snowman they just built lacked arms.

“Would you like me to get you some twigs for the snowman’s arms?” Philip asked Hilda.

“Yes please.” Hilda said.

Then Philip looked for some twigs, and fortunately, he was able to find two twigs right away. Then, he gave one twig to Hilda and then he and Hilda put one twig on each side of the second layer of the snowman.

“That looks better!” Hilda commented after she and her father finished putting the two twigs on the snowman which served as its arms.

“The snowman is finally complete!” Philip announced, to the cheers of Hilda and Mary.

* * *

_House of Commons, Ottawa_

Theresa May and her four cabinet members, Amber Rudd, Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid and Claire Perry emerged from the office of Canada’s Prime Minister. Their Canadian counterparts also emerged from the same office. They had just finished negotiating a number of deals which resulted from the meetings they had earlier that day.

“We’ve secured another trade deal!” Amber Rudd announced in glee, “Whoever said we were going to fail on this one can debate with me, and they’ll surely lose!”

“Don’t get too overzealous, Amber.” Theresa reminded her Deputy Prime Minister, “We are in the business of serving the British people, not engaging in immature banter with our critics.”

“She’s not yet over the euphoria from returning to your cabinet, Theresa.” Philip Hamond commented.

“Philip’s right. Amber has been your Deputy Prime Minister for more than six months. She still acts like she just got the job yesterday.” Claire Perry said in a sassy tone, resulting to a glare from Amber.

“Enough, you two.” Theresa told Philip and Claire, “We still have a press conference to do.”

Then, Theresa and her four cabinet ministers, as well as their Canadian counterparts, proceeded to the lobby of the House of Commons where the press conference was going to take place.

Fiona Hill and Owen Jones were among the British journalists who were covering the press conference. They were seated on the first row, which was an advantage since it would mean they are likely to be able to be one of the first people to ask the Prime Minister and her Canadian counterpart a question.

“I’m excited to find out what the Prime Minister has to say after the meetings she’s had today.” Fiona told Owen

“I’m sure we’re going home from this trip with a trade deal!” Owen remarked, “And it better be something that benefits the working class, although that’s not the first thing Conservatives have on their mind.”

Fiona then elbowed Owen, after which, she said, “We’re not heartless, Owen.”

“I’m not saying you, or the Prime Minister are heartless people.” Owen told Fiona, “It’s that Conservative policy in itself tends to be heartless sometimes.”

“Owen, policies do not have feelings. You can’t call them heartless.” Fiona reminded Owen, “I think you mean to tell me that Conservative policy does not always benefit the working class. It happens, but we’re doing our best to lessen those instances. That’s why we support social enterprises.”

“You do have a fair point.” Owen conceded.

Then, Theresa May and her four cabinet ministers, as well as her Canadian counterparts entered the lobby. Theresa May stood behind the podium at the right, while Andrew Scheer stood behind the podium on the left.

Kenzie Potter, Andrew Scheer’s chief-of-staff then took a microphone and announced, “Everyone, the press conference is about to start soon. This will run for five minutes, so we will be taking in questions as much as we can within the five minutes.”

Then, the press conference started.

“Good day everyone! I am pleased to announce that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and I have reached a trade deal.” Andrew Scheer said, “This trade deal will ensure that Canadian goods will be able to enter the United Kingdom without tariffs. In return, British goods will also be able to enter Canada without tariffs. There will be a special priority for products coming from social enterprises, as well.”

“In addition to the trade deal, the Prime Minister of Canada and I were able to reach agreements on national security and the welfare of refugees from the Middle East, particularly the Christian refugees.” Theresa May spoke, “My Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor, Home Secretary and Minister of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have also played a key role in reaching these agreements with their Canadian counterparts.”

“On national security, we have reached an agreement that Canadian citizens convicted of terrorism in the UK will not be extradited by Canada. The same is true for British citizens convicted of terrorism in Canada, they will not be extradited by the United Kingdom.” Andrew Scheer explained, “This will ensure that the national security of Canada will not be compromised by terrorism, and the same benefit extends to the United Kingdom.”

“On the welfare of refugees, particularly the Christian refugees from the Middle East, we have reached an agreement that our countries will welcome these refugees with open arms.” Theresa explained, “The United Kingdom has pledged to accept 10,000 refugees from the Middle East, the Christian refugees included. The same goes for Canada. Canada and the United Kingdom will not discriminate on these refugees. Meaning, whether they’re Christian or Muslim, they will have a place in our countries. Those are the things that Mr. Scheer and I have agreed on, along with our cabinet ministers. Are there any questions?”

The first to be called was a journalist from The Globe and Mail, then, a journalist for the Peterborough Examiner was called next. This journalist was followed by a journalist from CBC News, and then, Laura Kuenssberg from the BBC was called next.

“Laura Kuenssberg for BBC News.” Laura said, “This is a question for Prime Minister Theresa May. Prime Minister, can you assure that the tariff-free entry of Canadian products to the UK will not compromise our local market?”

“I assure you that our local market will not face any kind of compromise from this trade deal.” Theresa answered, “The trade deal will be in force alongside with present legislation protecting British businesses. In addition to that, the tariff-free entry also applies to British goods entering Canada, so it is an advantage to us and to Canada.”

Then, Fiona Hill was called next.

“Fiona Hill for The Spectator Magazine.” Fiona said, “This is a question for Prime Minister Andrew Scheer. Prime Minister, you have mentioned that the trade deal gives special priority to products from social enterprises. What exactly is this special priority?”

“The special priority is that products from social enterprises imported by the UK into Canada, and imported by Canada into the UK, will have expedited Customs clearance.” Andrew answered, “Considering that social enterprises do not have the same mechanisms as big corporations in being able to send in bulk amounts of shipments regularly to overseas retailers, the expedited Customs clearance can be the very least we can do to help them broaden their market.”

Then, Owen Jones was called next.

“Owen Jones for The Guardian.” Owen said, “This is a question for Prime Minister Theresa May. Prime Minister, you also mentioned that the UK will commit to accepting 10,000 refugees, regardless of their religion. When does this start?”

“That will come into effect as soon as Parliament ratifies our deal with Canada on the welfare of the refugees of the Middle East.” Theresa told Owen, “The government is working to ensure that the deal gets ratified as soon as possible.”

After Owen Jones, Andrew Marr was called next.

“Andrew Marr for BBC News.” Andrew Marr said, “This is a question for Prime Minister Andrew Scheer. Do you think your national security deal with our Prime Minister will be a success?”

“It will be a success.” Andrew answered, “Given that there are provisions to ensure that the convicted terrorists do not cause further harm to the country where they are convicted, just as they wouldn’t be able to cause further harm to the country they have deserted.”

The press conference went on for a bit, and afterwards, the press conference finished. The British Prime Minister and her four cabinet members, as well as their Canadian counterparts were then congratulated by their staffers, and some members of the press afterwards.

* * *

_Fairmont Château Laurier_

Theresa met up with her husband and daughter at the _Fairmont Château Laurier_ , where they were having a dinner reception with the press pool. It was a long but fulfilling day for Theresa because she was able to secure a good trade deal with the Canadians. On the other hand, Hilda and Philip had fun during their excursion.

“We got to watch a hockey game today.” Philip told Theresa, “It wasn’t between the big teams in Canada though. It was between amateur hockey teams. It was fun, anyway.”

“and Mary and I built a snowman!” Hilda told Theresa, “We had so much fun!”

“That’s good to hear, you two.” Theresa told her husband and her daughter, “I’m glad you two had fun at your excursion.”

“And I’m glad you were able to reach a good trade deal with the Canadian government, with the help of Amber, Philip, Sajid and Claire.” Philip told Theresa, “You’ve done well, love!”

“Thank you, love!” Theresa told Philip, “I am glad that we’ve all had a good day!”

Fiona and Owen were at the desert table, sampling the deserts. Then, Amber Rudd walked up to them with Claire Perry following behind.

“If it isn’t the lovebirds from the press pool.” Amber said as Claire visibly tried to elbow her.

“We’re not dating, Miss Deputy Prime Minister.” Fiona told Amber in the most sassy tone ever.

“I’m not the Queen, but I’m the Deputy Prime Minister.” Amber told Fiona in a stern (but obviously light-hearted tone), “so I still expect you to address me properly. It’s Miss Rudd or Deputy Prime Minister, not Miss Deputy Prime Minister.”

“I apologize for Amber.” Claire told Fiona and Owen in a seemingly embarrassed tone, “She thinks you two make a good couple.”

“Fiona and I are good friends.” Owen told Amber, “But we’re not in love with each other.” He added, laughing afterwards.

“I mean have you seen how sweet they are together?” Amber asked Claire, “Look at the way they look at each other and tell me they’re not in love.”

Then, Fiona and Owen pretended to look at each other lovingly, then asked Amber, “Happy now?”

Amber and Claire simply walked away out of embarrassment which led to Fiona and Owen giggling at them as they walked away.

The first day of the state visit was a fulfilling day for everyone. Theresa was happy that she got to secure the trade deal, and that she got to see her family at the end of the day. Philip was also happy that he got to visit Maplelawn Garden, one of the historic places in Canada that he longed to visit, and of course, he was happy to see his wife at the end of the day. Hilda was happy that she got to make a new friend, and she was happy as well to see her mother at the end of the day. Lastly, Amber Rudd, Philip Hammond, Sajid Javid and Claire Perry were happy with the trade deal and Fiona Hill and Owen Jones were happy that their first conference as part of the British Prime Minister’s press pool was a success.


	51. Sports, Delicacies and a Dinner Reception

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the last day of Prime Minister Theresa May's state visit to Canada, she and her family watch a friendship hockey game between the British and Canadian national hockey teams. The Mays also go to a cabane á sucre, and a dinner reception is also hosted for the Prime Minister and her cabinet ministers.

_November 30, 2019 – Howard Darwin Centennial Arena_

A friendship hockey game between the British National Hockey Team and the Canadian National Hockey Team is taking place. The game was organized as part of the British Prime Minister’s state visit to Canada. Proceeds from the ticket sales of the game are to be given to the Christian Refugees from the Middle East who have settled in Canada.

The British Prime Minister and her family, as well as the Canadian Prime Minister and his family were seated in the VIP area of the hockey arena. From where they are seated, they had a great view of the game.

“On this third period of the game, Canada is still leading, but the UK isn’t showing any signs of giving up yet!” Eliotte Friedman, the play-by-play commentator for the hockey game said. He had been chosen to be the commentator for the UK vs. Canada friendship hockey game, given the fact that he is the best hockey game commentator that Canada has.

“I’m quite impressed that your national hockey team is actually keeping up with ours.” Andrew Scheer commented to Theresa May. He had known that the UK wasn’t so keen on hockey like Canada is, so the British National Hockey Team’s performance on the game that’s taking place has surprised him.

“Our Secretary of State for Digital Media, Culture and Sport has ensured that every sports union in the UK gets adequate funding.” Theresa explained to Andrew, “That’s why our hockey team is already doing well, compared to before I became the Prime Minister.”

“And…the United Kingdom has scored!” Eliotte announced, “Now, there’s only a five-point gap between the UK and Canada. With ten minutes left into this game, a lot can still happen.”

With that, Theresa, Philip and Hilda cheered. Their country’s hockey team is getting closer to winning the game. Sure, it’s just a friendship game, but if the UK wins, it would mean a lot, not just to them, but to the team itself, and to the entire UK.

“Come on Zach, get that goal!” Amber Rudd shouted while standing, as Zach Sullivan maneuvered the hockey puck into the goal.

“She’s really into this, isn’t she?” Sajid Javid asked Claire Perry, who was intently watching the game.

“Well, she was also like this with the World Cup last year.” Claire told Sajid, “I mean you should have seen her reaction when we made it into the semi-finals. She was shouting with joy towards the television set while we were watching the game at her constituency home.”

“Another goal for the United Kingdom, from Zach Sullivan!” Eliotte announced, to the joy of Amber who was now jumping up and down.

“Mummy, are we winning yet?” Hilda asked her mother.

“We’re getting closer to winning, sweetie.” Theresa told her daughter.

The game went on, and after Zach Sullivan scored a goal, Ben Davis scored a goal as well. After him, Brendon Brooks scored another goal for the British team, bringing the gap between the UK and Canada’s scores to two points. Eventually, the British team won the game after Collin Shields scored the final goal of the game, which gave them a one-point advantage over Canada’s team.

“We won! We won!” Theresa and Philip shouted with joy, hugging each other afterwards. After which, Philip lifted Hilda up in the air as Theresa cheered on.

“Thank you Collin Shields!” Amber shouted towards the rink, where the British team was now celebrating after winning the friendship game, “And thank you to the entire team!”

A wonderful sight unfolded before them all, members of the British team lifting Collin Shields up together, with Collin waving his hockey stick upwards.

“Congratulations, Prime Minister!” Andrew said as he and his wife walked towards Theresa, shaking her hand afterwards.

“That was a great game there.” Jill Scheer told Theresa, “Canada may have lost but the kids enjoyed it.” She added, pointing out to her and Andrew’s children who were watching with joy at the hockey players interacting with each other after the game.

“I agree, that was a great game.” Theresa told Jill, “and, my daughter enjoyed it as well.”

“Now that the game is over, we shall be heading to _Érablière le Chemin du Roy_ for lunch.” Andrew told Theresa, Philip and Hilda, “Trust me, you will love the food there, and of course, the maple syrup!”

“We’re going to that place where they make maple syrup?” Hilda asked her parents.

“That’s right, sweetie, we are!” Philip told Hilda.

* * *

_Érablière le Chemin du Roy_

After taking a two-hour flight from Ottawa-Gatineau Executive Airport to Quebec City, and another two-hour drive from Quebec to Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, the Mays and the Scheers finally made it to _Érablière le Chemin du Roy_.

The British and Canadian press pools for the British Prime Minister’s state visit also joined the trip, but rather than going there to work, they were going there for leisure as well. It was one of those times during the state visit when they got to join the heads of government of their respective countries, and their families, and do something other than press coverage.

“Here in Canada, we really do put maple syrup all over our food.” Andrew explained to Theresa, Philip and Hilda, “On scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, sausages, you name it!”

Then, Andrew demonstrated his point by pouring maple syrup all over his ham and scrambled eggs. Theresa, Philip and Hilda watched in awe at what Andrew was doing. Pouring maple syrup on food other than pastries seemed unusual to them, because in the United Kingdom, they only put maple syrup on pastries.

“Who would like to give it a try?” Jill asked the Mays. Hilda volunteered and Jill handed her over the bottle of maple syrup.

“So, where would you like to put your maple syrup on?” Theresa asked her daughter.

“I want maple syrup on my bacon, mummy!” Hilda told Theresa.

Theresa then helped Hilda pour maple syrup on her bacon, making sure that the amount of maple syrup she has put on the bacon is enough – neither too much, nor too less.

Hilda then ate some of the bacon that had now maple syrup on it, and after a few moments, she said, “Mummy, it’s yummy!”

“Well, why don’t we give it a try too?” Philip suggested to Theresa.

Then, Theresa and Philip, who both had waffles, scrambled eggs, ham and bacon on their plates, put maple syrup on their food. After that, they tasted their food.

“This…this is actually so delicious!” Theresa commented, “I never knew maple syrup goes well with scrambled eggs, ham and bacon!”

“You’re right, love!” Philip commented, “I always thought it only goes well on pastry items like waffles.”

“See, maple syrup does go well with meat dishes and eggs!” Jill told Theresa and Philip.

Meanwhile, on the British press pool’s table, a Canadian journalist was also telling her British counterparts about how maple syrup also goes well with meat dishes and eggs.

Owen Jones, being the one who was the most excited to try new food in Canada, poured maple syrup all over the bacon and scrambled eggs on his plate. Then he took a bite of his bacon and scrambled eggs.

“Well, how is it?” Laura Kuenssberg asked, curious about Owen’s reaction to the combination that was bacon, scrambled eggs and maple syrup.

Owen’s eyes widened, after which, he said, “This is life changing!”

“Mind if I have some, then?” Fiona Hill asked Owen, curious about how maple syrup tastes with meat. Fiona hill took a piece of bacon from Owen’s plate with her fork and tasted the food for herself.

Fiona’s eyes widened as well, after which, she said, “You’re right, this is life changing!”

Then, the rest of the British press pool put maple syrup on their food as well and they did in fact enjoy what they have just eaten. Who would have knew among them that maple syrup goes well with food other than pastries?

* * *

After having lunch, Andrew and Jill took the Mays and the British and Canadian press pools for the state visit to the _cabane á sucre_ where the maple taffy was being made at the _Érablière le Chemin du Roy_. As they were walking along, a guide from the _cabane á sucre_ started talking about the history of the place.

“This _cabane á sucre_ got its name from the ancestral road that crosses it, known as the King’s road. The road’s construction began in 1715 under the French Regime.” The guide said, “It was drawn up by Pierre Robineau and it connects Cap Rogue River to Neuville.”

Philip listened intently at the guide who was talking about the history of the _Érablière le Chemin du Roy_. He always found historical tidbits about places that he visits interesting.

“In 1734, the link between Quebec and Montreal was completed and as of today, parts of the ancestral road can still be found within this property.” The guide continued, “The _cabane á sucre_ which we’re about to go in to was built in 1925.”

After a few moments, they arrived at the _cabane á sucre_ where the guide instructed everyone to take a popsicle stick and use it to get the maple taffy, which was on the snow. The maple taffy is made by pouring freshly-boiled maple syrup on the snow that is put on top of a narrow wooden table.

Hilda took a popsicle and scooped up the maple taffy with it, after which, she ate the maple taffy. She then got another popsicle and repeated what she just did because she finds the maple taffy delicious.

“It’s so sweet and chewy!” Hilda told her parents about the maple taffy.

Meanwhile, Theresa and Philip were enjoying the maple taffy as well, with Theresa having a fifth serving of maple taffy and Philip having a fourth serving.

“This is so sweet!” Theresa told Philip, “If only we can take home a bucket of maple taffy.”

“A bucket of maple taffy,” Philip told Theresa, “If that existed, we would be so happy!”

“I think Olivia and Oliver want more.” Theresa whispered to Philip.

Philip then took two popsicle sticks and scooped up maple taffy on one stick each. Then, he handed the maple taffy he just got over to Theresa. Theresa then ate the maple taffy that her husband gave her, and she was very happy with it.

“You know what’s sweeter than maple taffy?” Philip asked Theresa.

“What?” Theresa asked, trying hard to stop herself from laughing, because she knew how Philip was going to answer.

“You are.” Philip said, after which, Theresa burst into laughter.

“Love, no confectionary treat is going to beat how sweet we are to each other.” Theresa told Philip, which led to them both blushing.

Hilda watched as her parents shared a sweet moment and she could not help but smile at how her parents are proud of their love for each other.

* * *

_Fairmont Château Laurier Ballroom_

A dinner reception was held for the British Prime Minister and the British delegation at the Fairmont Château Laurier’s Ballroom. That night, everyone had their best outfits on.

Theresa May had a dress from Beulah London which had a blue floral print and ruffled sleeves. The dress was almost floor length. Philip May had a suit from Whitcomb and Shaftesbury on, which was a black suit. This was paired with a navy blue necktie.

“I would like to propose a toast to Prime Minister Theresa May for the success of the trade deal and other deals that have been signed between the United Kingdom and Canada during this state visit.” Andrew said.

“Cheers!” Everybody said in unison. After which, everyone had their sip of Canada Dry Ginger Ale which were placed in wine glasses to make it appear classy (since Canada Dry Ginger Ale wasn’t the kind of drink you’d find in a formal dinner).

The dinner that night was plated, save for the dessert which the people attending the reception could get from a buffet table. Theresa and Philip enjoyed their dinner, for the food that was being served was something that they liked – with the main dish being Ravioli Lasagne with sausage and mushrooms.

“The lasagne is just so savory!” Theresa told Philip, “Isn’t it, love?”

“You’re right.” Philip said as he took the last bite of his main dish, “Not to mention that the serving size is just enough!”

“The serving is neither too much, nor too few.” Theresa told Philip, “We don’t need a second serving anymore, because there is so much to eat already!”

Then, Theresa and Philip burped in unison.

“Yup, it’s delicious alright!” Philip commented, much to Theresa’s laughter.

“Let’s head to the dessert buffet, love!” Theresa suggested.

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Philip said. Then, Theresa and Philip made their way to the dessert buffet.

Meanwhile, Fiona and Owen were also on their way to the dessert table. Fiona had a black satin blouse from Beulah London and a midi skirt with a stripe print from Jessica Rey on, while Owen Jones wore a black suit from a fair trade cooperative, which he paired with a red tie, that he bought from the same place as well.

Reaching the buffet table, Fiona and Owen started to take samples of each dessert item and they put the food on their dessert plates.

“This Nanaimo bar is just so tasty!” Owen commented as he took a bite from the Nanaimo bar he took from the dessert buffet.

“I love the _Tarte Au Sucre_ that they have here!” Fiona commented, taking a bite of the _Tarte Au Sucre_ that she took from the dessert buffet afterwards.

“Looks like our favorite journalists in the press pool are enjoying the desserts, huh?” Theresa said as she walked towards Fiona and Owen.

“Don’t mind us, you two.” Philip said, “We’re just here to have some dessert too.” He added, trying his best not to giggle at the fact that he and Theresa just saw Fiona and Owen take a sample of every single dessert item from the dessert buffet.

Theresa and Philip then took some desserts for themselves, going for the Nanaimo bars and the _Pouding chômeur_. Then, the two returned to their table where they had their desserts.

* * *

“We should really pick up some Nanaimo bars before we fly back to the UK.” Theresa told Philip as she finished the desserts on her dessert plate, “I really love those! I think I may have found a new craving.”

“I do agree with you.” Philip told Theresa, “The Nanaimo bars are just the best! I hope we can get Andrew and Jill to get us lots of them.”

“So, shall we dance?” Theresa asked Philip, as music for slow dancing started to play, and as the people in the ballroom started to fill the dancefloor.

“Yes,  we shall.” Philip said. After which, he stood up and offered his hand to Theresa, which she took. The two made their way to the dancefloor to join everyone else.

_And darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70_

_And baby my heart could still fall as hard at 23_

_And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

_Maybe just the touch of a hand_

_Oh me I fall in love with you every single day_

_And I just wanna tell you I am_

Theresa and Philip held each other close as they danced along to the music. Philip could not help but be in awe at the fact that he and his wife were sharing this moment together – and not just that, he could not help but be in awe at the fact that in this very moment, Theresa is expecting not just one child, but two! A miracle they thought would never happen early during their marriage, and even as recently as the year before.

“You know, I’m just so happy to be with you right now.” Philip told Theresa as his eyes sparkled.

“And I am just so happy to be with you right now as well.” Theresa told Philip in response, her eyes sparkling as well.

“And you know what makes this even more special?” Philip asked Theresa.

“The fact that we are sharing this dance, while being pregnant with our dearest Olivia and Oliver.” Theresa told Philip, referring to the fact that she is pregnant with their twins, “We are in fact really blessed.”

“God has been, and is always kind to us.” Philip told Theresa, “He made sure we’re still married, he gave us Hilda and now, he’s given us Olivia and Oliver.”

“God has never, and will never let us down.” Theresa told Philip, “And we’ve seen that with the successes we’ve had in life.”

“I agree with you.” Philip told Theresa.

_So honey now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Place your head on my beating heart_

_I'm thinking out loud_

_Maybe we found love right where we are_

“I love you Philip John May.” Theresa told Philip as she looked at his eyes lovingly, “Thank you for always being right beside me, and for being there for me and Hilda, and Olivia and Oliver.”

“I love you too, Theresa Mary May.” Philip told Theresa as he looked at her eyes lovingly, “Thank you for being right beside me as well, and for being there for me, and Hilda, and Olivia and Oliver too.”

“God has given me you and I will always treasure each other and our dear children.” Theresa told Philip.

“And God has given me you too, and I as well, will always treasure each other and our dear children.” Philip told Theresa in response.

Theresa and Philip continued with their dance, and they are as always, proud of the strong and stable bond that they have shared over the years – and the family that they have formed along the way. Though they waited long to form a family, but the wait was still worth it for Hilda arrived in their lives three years ago, and now, they are expecting for the birth of their dearest twins, Olivia and Oliver.

The Mays are returning to the United Kingdom, not just with the successful deals that Theresa and her four cabinet members have negotiated, but also with much more excitement for the arrival of the twins, which would now make them a family of five.


	52. A Day of Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip, along with Hilda, spend the day going over Hilda's old baby clothes as they continue to prepare for the arrival of the new additions to their family. They also spend the day preparing Christmas presents for their loved ones. Meanwhile, Nicola and Peter make plans for their Christmas shopping.

_December 7, 2019 - Maidenhead_

“I think Olivia and Oliver would look good in these!” Theresa said as she showed her husband and their daughter some onesies in a storage box in their daughter’s bedroom.

Theresa and her husband, Philip had given away some of Hilda’s clothes to charity when she outgrew them, but they still haven’t given away all of them – such as the onesies that Theresa has just shown her husband and their daughter.

“I’m glad we still kept the leopard print onesies.” Philip remarked as he took out two leopard print onesies from the storage box.

“It’s a perfect fit for our babies in the first few months of their life.” Theresa said as she looked at the two leopard print onesies, “Fiona gave these to us when we just had Hilda.”

“Well then, let’s give those to Olivia and Oliver!” Philip suggested.

“That’s exactly what I plan on doing!” Theresa told her husband, “Let’s set these onesies aside for the twins, shall we?”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Philip told Theresa.

“Mummy, are you giving those to Olivia and Oliver?” Hilda asked her mother as she watched her and her father go through her baby clothes.

“Yes, sweetie.” Theresa said, “Your daddy and I decided that your younger sibling should have these.”

“Okay then!” Hilda responded in agreement.

Theresa then put the two leopard print onesies inside a basket. After that, she and her husband decided to go through the storage box some more to see which onesies they could set aside for the twins.

“I think that we should set aside these tartan print onesies as well.” Philip suggested as he showed Theresa a pair of tartan print onesies – one with a navy and green color scheme, and another with a maroon and green color scheme.

“Those will look adorable on Olivia and Oliver too.” Theresa told Philip, “Nicola gave those to us during one of the meetings we had before the UK left the EU, when Hilda was still a baby. Let’s set those aside as well.”

Theresa then put the tartan print onesies inside the basket as well. Meanwhile, Hilda started rummaging into the storage box, hoping to find something that she could ask for her parents to keep for the babies who are on the way.

Hilda then found a leopard print dress inside the storage box and held it up for her parents to see, then she said, “Mummy, can we keep this for Olivia?”

Theresa instantly recognized the dress as the dress that the previous Canadian Prime Minister gave to Hilda as a birthday present when she turned one. It was that dress, that according to the previous Canadian Prime Minister’s wife, was something that her husband wanted to give to Hilda as a joke.

“Of course we can!” Theresa told Hilda, “That’s your favorite dress when you turned one.”

“Really?” Hilda asked her mother.

“When you opened up your presents on the morning of your birthday,” Theresa said, “That was the present that you loved the most, so much that you wanted to wear the dress already. Then you wore that dress for the rest of the day.”

“I think Olivia will love it too.” Hilda told her mother.

“We’re setting this aside as well.” Theresa said, putting the leopard print dress inside the basket, “And we’re going to need newborn-sized onesies as the onesies we have here would only fit the babies once they’re a few months old.”

“A shopping trip, anyone?” Philip asked.

“I think we can do some shopping on Boxing Day.” Theresa told Philip, who nodded in agreement, “In the meantime, can you place that storage box here?” she added, pointing out to a storage box that was still inside the closet.

“Sure, love.” Philip said happily, taking out the storage box from the closet and putting it beside the storage box where Hilda’s baby clothes were placed.

Theresa then opened the storage box that she asked Philip to get, and that storage box contained booties that Hilda used to wear as a baby.

“We’ve got all kinds of booties here!” Theresa said as she marveled at the booties of different colors and prints, that were either bought by her and Philip, or given to them by close friends and some constituents of hers.

“I don’t think we’re going to have any problems when it comes to getting booties for the babies.” Philip remarked, “We’ve got plenty of variation here, that would work both for a baby girl and a baby boy, and you’re having both!”

“We’re keeping all of these for Olivia and Oliver!” Theresa announced as she put the storage box full of booties next to the basket of onesies that she and her husband set aside for the twins.

* * *

Theresa and Philip were now wrapping gifts for their relatives and godchildren, with Hilda helping out. As they wrapped the presents, Hilda asked her parents something.

“Mummy and Daddy, will I be getting my presents soon?” Hilda asked both of her parents.

“Of course, sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda, “You’ll be getting your presents soon.”

“Your mummy and I are just as excited as you are in getting presents for Christmas this year!” Philip told Hilda.

“And for you, it’s a Christmas present and a birthday present because you’re born on Christmas Day!” Theresa told Hilda.

“Do I get two presents or one?” Hilda asked her parents.

“Well, in the past two years, some of the people close to us who gave you presents only gave you one, while some gave you two.” Theresa explained, “But whether they give you one or two presents is not what matters, it’s the thought that matters when they give you your presents. The ones who gave you one present do not care for you any less than those who gave you two.”

“How about you, mummy and daddy?” Hilda asked her parents once again, “How many presents are you giving me?”

“Well, your mummy and I would rather keep that a surprise.” Philip told Hilda.

“You’ll be happy with what you’ll get for Christmas and your birthday,” Theresa told Hilda, “We promise you that, sweetie.”

Hilda then hugged both her mother and father and told them, “I love you mummy and daddy!”

And Theresa and Philip said in unison, “We love you too!”

* * *

_Glasgow, Scotland_

Nicola Sturgeon and her husband, Peter Murrell, were making plans for their Christmas shopping as Christmas is just right around the corner. One of the things that Nicola and Peter look forward the most about the Christmas season is doing their Christmas shopping.

“Well Peter, what should we get Hilda this year?” Nicola asked her husband. She and her husband are godparents to Hilda, while Theresa and Philip May, Hilda’s parents, are the godparents to her and her husband’s son, Andrew.

“Last year, we gave the wee lass a ragdoll.” Peter said, “and the year before that, a stuffed toy of a wild haggis.”

“I think we should go with giving the wee lass a pair of shoes this year.” Nicola suggested.

“What kind of shoes though?” Peter asked.

“Ones with a leopard print.” Nicola said, giggling afterwards.

“Of course, because Hilda’s mum likes those, of course you’d assume it’s the same for Hilda.” Peter spoke, giggling as well.

“Or tartan print shoes.” Nicola told Peter.

“How about both?” Peter asked.

“Why not?” Nicola responded.

After a few moments of silence, Nicola said, “Two pairs of shoes it is then!”

Then, Nicola and Peter decided to start doing their Christmas shopping after they finished making their plans on what gifts to give for Christmas.


	53. Celebrations and a Milestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mays celebrate Christmas and Hilda's third birthday, and on the same day, a milestone happens that makes their Christmas an even more cheerful one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone reading this fanfic, I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

_December 25, 2019 – Maidenhead_

After the Christmas service, the Mays proceeded to the courtyard of the church where they exchanged pleasantries with their fellow churchgoers.

“Happy Christmas, to you and your family, Mrs. May!” Mrs. Morgan told Theresa as she passed by her. Mrs. Morgan is one of Theresa’s many constituents who are greatly supportive of her.

“Thank you, Mrs. Morgan!” Theresa told Mrs. Morgan in response. For Theresa, it was always nice being able to stick around and talk to the people in her constituency after the Christmas service, and after every church service that she and her family attend.

“And of course, happy birthday to you, Hilda!” Mrs. Morgan told Hilda.

“Thank you, Mrs. Morgan!” Hilda told Mrs. Morgan.

Then, Mrs. Morgan took something out of her tote bag – it was a gift box with a wrapper having white snowflakes on a blue background, with a silver bow. Then, she told Hilda, “This is for you, Hilda.”

“Thank you for the gift, Mrs. Morgan!” Hilda told Mrs. Morgan in a cheerful tone after receiving the gift box from her.

“You’re welcome, Hilda!” Mrs. Morgan replied, “I hope you’ll like your present.”

Mrs. Morgan then excused herself and went on to talk to the other churchgoers who were at the church’s courtyard.

* * *

After the Mays joined the old people in Maidenhead for the Christmas lunch, they headed home, where they celebrated Hilda’s birthday this time. As usual, Theresa baked Hilda’s birthday cake instead of buying one from Waitrose. Philip also helped out, assisting Theresa in cooking the pasta. Philip always loved being to help Theresa around when she’s cooking.

With the birthday cake baked and the pasta cooked, Theresa and Philip set the table. Like the previous birthdays that Hilda celebrated, her birthday cake for her third birthday is still a gluten-free chocolate cake. Of course, the difference is that there are more candles on her cake, signifying her present age.

The pasta that Theresa and Philip cooked together is spaghetti with meatballs – which is Hilda’s favorite pasta dish.

“Hilda, it’s time to blow the candles on your birthday cake!” Theresa called out. Instantly, Hilda entered the dining room. She had just come from the living room where she was doing some coloring with her coloring book while waiting for her parents to finish preparing for her birthday celebration.

Philip then put a wooden box by the dining table for Hilda to step on so that she could blow the candles on her birthday cake that was on the dining table. Hilda stepped up on the wooden box afterwards.

“Alright Hilda, now make a wish.” Theresa told Hilda, “And after you make your wish, you can blow the candles.”

There was a few minutes of silence as Hilda made her birthday wish. Then, she blew the candles on her birthday cake to the applause of her parents.

“Happy Birthday, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison, kissing Hilda on her cheeks afterwards.

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then took their seats by the dining table. Afterwards, Philip then sliced Hilda’s birthday cake into eight equal parts, and gave Hilda the first slice. Then, he gave Theresa one slice, and then took one slice for himself.

“This cake is so yummy!” Hilda remarked as she took the first bite of her cake slice.

“Of course, it’s because your mummy made it.” Philip cheerfully told Hilda.

“That’s sweet of you to say, love.” Theresa told Philip, in a cheerful tone as well.

“Daddy, I would like some spaghetti.” Hilda told her father.

Philip then took a plate and put some spaghetti on it, then he passed it on to Hilda who started to eat the pasta dish happily.

“I’d like some spaghetti too, love.” Theresa told her husband, who gave her a serving of spaghetti as well.

As Theresa ate her spaghetti, she felt something ticklish by her stomach. After having a bite of her spaghetti, she put her palm on top of her belly which caught Philip’s attention, prompting him to ask her, “Are you alright, love?”

Then, Theresa told her husband, “I think – I think the babies are fluttering.”

“So you can already start to feel them moving?” Philip asked. He knew a bit about babies fluttering in the uterus before they progress to kicking, thanks to those times when his mother would announce while she was pregnant with his younger siblings that she could feel them fluttering.

“Yes.” Theresa told Philip, “But flutters, unlike kicks, can only be felt by the mother. You, or Hilda, wouldn’t be able to feel anything if you put your palms on my belly at this point. You would only start to feel something when you put your palms on my belly when the babies start kicking.”

“Are the babies moving now, mummy?” Hilda asked as the conversation between her mother and her father caught her attention.

“Yes, but their movement is still light.” Theresa told Hilda, “But they’re already starting to move.”

“I think they liked the way you cooked the pasta so much that they decided to start moving to let you know about it.” Philip told Theresa.

“That’s such a sweet thing to say, love!” Theresa told her husband, “and I’m happy that Olivia and Oliver are starting to acquire our love for pasta.

Then, the Mays continued to have their cake and pasta – with Hilda being able to consume her cake slice and her spaghetti, Theresa having one more slice of cake and one and a half more servings of pasta, and Philip having one more slice of cake and one more serving of pasta.

* * *

After having some cake and pasta, it was now time for Hilda to open her birthday presents. The first present that Hilda opened was the present from Mrs. Morgan.

Hilda then removed the wrapper of the gift box, and then proceeded to open the box which contained a brown teddy bear in a pink dress.

“Well, what do you think of your gift from Mrs. Morgan?” Theresa asked her daughter.

“It looks cute!” Hilda said.

Then, Hilda put the teddy bear beside her and proceeded to open another gift. This time, it was a gift from Fiona Hill, whom she fondly calls “Aunt Fiona”.

Hilda opened the gift bag that contained Fiona’s gift from her, and when she pulled out the gift, it was a light blue blouse with a round collar. There was also a birthday card that accompanied it, which read:

_Happy Birthday Hilda! I hope you’ll like this gift from me and I hope you’ll enjoy your birthday!_

_-Aunt Fiona_

After opening the gift from Fiona Hill, the next gift that Hilda opened was from Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell, who were also her godparents. The gift that they had given her were two pairs of shoes – one with a leopard print and another one with a tartan print.

Hilda was delighted with her presents from her godparents – especially now that she finally has her own pair of leopard print shoes.

“I think she’s also taken after my love for shoes.” Theresa remarked as she watched Hilda look at her new shoes in awe.

“Looks like we’re going to need more storage for shoes, then.” Philip said with a giggle, “But hey, having a love for shoes is a good interest and I’m glad our daughter has become interested in it.”

“That’s true, love.” Theresa said in agreement.

“These shoes are pretty!” Hilda told her parents in a cheerful tone.

“I’m glad you like what your Aunt Nicola and Uncle Peter have given to you!” Theresa told Hilda, “Now, your daddy and I also have a special present for you.”

Theresa and Philip then gave Hilda their gift, which she excitedly opened. The gift that she had received from her parents were a navy blue dress with white floral prints and a ragdoll which had brunette hair and a navy blue dress.

“These gifts look so nice!” Hilda told her parents, “Thank you mummy and daddy!”

“You’re welcome, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

“And now, here’s my gift for you!” Philip told Theresa, handing her a gift box afterwards.

Theresa then unwrapped her gift, and inside the gift box were a pair of navy blue maternity flats and a recently-released book about women leaders who made history. She was in great glee with what her husband has given her for Christmas. She then took each of the gifts out so that she could have a better look at them.

The first thing she did was to fit her maternity flats and walked a bit. Then, when she was done fitting the maternity flats, she returned it to its shoe box.

The next thing she did was to scan through the book and she nodded in approval with the content. When she was done, she put the book on the living room table.

“What do you think about my presents, love?” Philip asked excitedly.

“The gifts you’ve given me are perfect!” Theresa responded with glee, “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome, love!” Philip replied to her.

Then, Theresa handed Philip a gift box and said, “And this is my gift for you!”

Philip then unwrapped his gift, and inside were cufflinks with a leopard print design and a book about the history of the British Monarchy that was recently released. Philip was in great glee as well with what his wife has given him for Christmas. He then took each of the gifts out as well so that he could have a better look at them.

First, he inspected his cufflinks, admiring the workmanship that was put into making it. Then, he set the cufflinks down on the living room table.

Next, he scanned through the book and noted at how interesting the content was. When he was done, he also set the book down on the living room table as well.

“What do you think about my presents, love?” Theresa asked excitedly as well.

“They are perfect!” Philip responded with glee, “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome, love!” Theresa replied to him.

Then, Theresa and Philip shared a hug.

“Awww!” Hilda said as she watched her parents hug, “So adorable!”

“Come here, sweetie!” Theresa called Hilda, inviting her to join in the hug.

Hilda then ran towards her parents, who both embraced her.

* * *

After opening Hilda’s birthday gifts, the Mays were now at the living room, watching some Christmas specials on TV. As they were watching TV, Theresa and Philip started talking about the babies.

“Now that I’ve been pregnant for more than 11 weeks, you think it’s time for us to announce that I’m expecting?” Theresa asked her husband, “Considering that at this point, the risk for a miscarriage is pretty low.”

“I think you could already do that.” Philip told Theresa.

“I’m thinking of making the announcement through a picture.” Theresa told Philip in an excited tone, “We’d have mine, yours and Hilda’s shoes lined up, and then we’d put two pairs of booties along. How does that sound?”

“That sounds adorable!” Philip told Theresa, “and unique as well!”

“And apart from that, I plan to give a press release through the Communications Director of 10 Downing Street as well.” Theresa told Philip.

“I’m all for it – the picture and the press release!” Philip told Theresa.

Then, Theresa and Philip started picking some shoes to use for the photo. Theresa picked her leopard print kitten heels, while Philip picked his black loafers. Then, the both of them asked Hilda which shoe she’d like to pick for the picture, and Hilda of course, chose her new leopard print shoes. Theresa and Philip then took two white booties from the booties that they had put aside for the babies two weeks ago. When all that was done, Theresa and Philip lined up the shoes – with Theresa’s shoes being first, and Philip’s being second and Hilda’s being third, and then they finished it up with putting the two pairs of white booties beside Hilda’s shoes.

“Perfect!” Theresa said. After which, she snapped a picture of the three pairs of shoes and two pairs of booties with her phone.

Then, Theresa sent Robbie Gibb, the 10 Downing Street Communications Director an email on the press release and instructed him to make the press release immediately after she announces her pregnancy through her Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts.

Then, Theresa uploaded the photo to her Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts with the caption, “I and my husband, Philip, are happy to announce that we are going to become a family of five soon.”

The press release from 10 Downing Street then followed, which said:

“The Prime Minister, and her husband, Philip, are pleased to announce that they are expecting twins, due on May 2020.”

A few moments later, people started sending them congratulatory messages. Yvette Cooper sent her congratulatory message to Theresa through Twitter, which said:

_Congratulations to Prime Minister @theresa_may! I am so happy for you! May your pregnancy be a smooth one and I wish you and your family all the best._

Ruth Davidson, who has had two children, sent a congratulatory message to Theresa through Twitter as well, which said:

_Congratulations to Prime Minister @theresa_may! I’m so glad for you! I wish you and your family all best on this new chapter of your lives._

Nicola Sturgeon also sent a congratulatory message to Theresa through Twitter which said:

_Congratulations to Prime Minister @theresa_may! I’m so glad for you! I am hoping for the best for you and your family and I hope to see your babies soon._

Theresa could not help but feel even more happier when she read all the congratulatory messages being sent to her after announcing her pregnancy. Philip could not help but feel even more happier as well. Most of all, Hilda was even more excited to see her younger siblings now.

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were still watching Christmas specials on TV. This time, they were watching a Christmas special of the Great British Bake-Off.

“You know, this is one of the best Christmases we’ve ever had.” Philip told Theresa with a smile.

“I know.” Theresa told Philip, “Three years ago was when we saw Hilda for the first time, after she was born, and now, it’s knowing that Olivia and Oliver are very much healthy when they started fluttering for the first time.”

“I can’t wait to see what the next five months has in store for us.” Philip said, “and of course, I can’t wait for the birth of our dear babies.”

“God has truly blessed us this Christmas in letting us know that Olivia and Oliver are in good health.” Theresa told Philip.

“It’s the best thing, along with Hilda celebrating her third birthday, that God has given us today.” Philip told Theresa.

Theresa then put her left palm on top of her belly and said, “We’ll do our very best to give Olivia and Oliver the love that they deserve, just as we did to Hilda.”

Philip put his palm on top of Theresa’s left palm and said, “After all, we want nothing but the best for our children.”

“Your daddy and I love you two.” Theresa said as she looked at her belly, “And we will always cherish you both.”

“And your mummy and I will protect you always.” Philip added, as he looked at Theresa’s belly as well.

Hilda then put her palm on top of her parents’ palms that were on top of her mother’s belly and said, “Mummy, Daddy and I are so excited to see you two soon!” to the belly.

“Happy Christmas, love.” Philip told Theresa.

“and Happy Christmas to you as well, love.” Theresa told Philip in response.

“Happy Christmas, mummy and daddy!” Hilda told her parents.

“and Happy Christmas to you too, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip told Hilda in response.

Then, Theresa looked towards her belly, and Philip looked towards Theresa’s belly as well. Then, Theresa and Philip said in unison, “and of course, Happy Christmas to you two, our dear babies.”

The Mays had such an amazing Christmas – first, they got to witness their oldest daughter turn another year older, and now, they have found out that the twins they are expecting are in good health. For that, they were grateful to God for the Christmas gift that was a bigger family with a stronger bond.


	54. A Boxing Day Shopping Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mays go shopping on Boxing Day for the new additions to their family.

_December 26, 2019 – Maidenhead_

One of the things that the Mays did during Boxing Day was to go shopping for some clothes for Olivia and Oliver. The clothes that they were able to set aside for them earlier that month would only fit them once they’ve reached a few months old. They still needed to buy them clothes that would fit them on their first month.

“Ma’am, sir,” The shopkeeper said to Theresa and Philip, “Would you be interested in these onesies? They are just the perfect size for a newborn!”

Theresa and Philip then inspected the onesies that the shopkeeper showed them. The onesies come in a set of two. There are onesies that are baby pink in color, some in baby blue, and some in white. There are also onesies that had printed designs – one with a floral print, another in a plaid print.

“We’d like to get one set of each!” Theresa told the shopkeeper.

“Very well then, ma’am.” The shopkeeper replied. Then, she proceeded to get one set of each design of the onesies, scanned its barcodes, and folded them carefully, before putting them into a shopping bag.

“We’re looking for some beanie hats for the babies as well.” Theresa told the shopkeeper.

“We’ve got these!” The shopkeeper said, showing her, Philip, and Hilda the selection of beanie hats.

The beanie hats are in sets of two, and it comes in different colors. There are baby pink beanie hats, baby blue beanie hats, and white beanie hats. The beanie hats also come in different prints. There are beanie hats with stripes, beanie hats with a floral print, beanie hats with a plaid print and beanie hats with a leopard print.

“Mummy, Daddy, can we get Olivia and Oliver that hat?” Hilda asked, pointing out to the leopard print beanie hats.

“Sure, sweetie.” Theresa replied to Hilda, “We can get Olivia and Oliver that hat.”

“We’d like to get one set of those beanie hats.” Philip said, referring to the leopard print beanie hats.

“One set of leopard print beanie hats.” The shopkeeper said as she took one set of the leopard print beanie hats and scanned its barcodes before putting them carefully into the shopping bag, “And what else would you like to get for your siblings, young lass?” she then asked Hilda.

“Those hats!” Hilda said, pointing out to the pink and blue beanie hats.

“We’d like to get one set of each of those beanie hats as well.” Theresa said, referring to the baby pink and baby blue beanie hats.

“One set of baby pink beanie hats,” The shopkeeper said, “and one set of baby blue beanie hats.” She added, after which, she took one set of the baby pink beanie hats, and one set of the baby blue beanie hats, scanned its barcodes, and put them carefully into the shopping bag.

“We’d like to get one set of the beanie hats with a floral print,” Theresa told the shopkeeper, “and two pairs of the beanie hats with a plaid print.”

“Very well then!” The shopkeeper told Theresa, “Coming right up!” she added, putting two pairs of the floral print beanie hats carefully into the shopping bag. She then did the same for the two pairs of the plaid print beanie hats.

“We’d like to get some mittens too.” Theresa told the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper then showed them a selection of mittens. The mittens come in various colors and designs and are in sets of five. Theresa and Philip then took a moment to take a look at them.

Then, Theresa told the shopkeeper, “I’d like to get one set of the white mittens, one set of the baby pink mittens, and one set of the baby blue mittens.”

“Coming right up!” The shopkeeper said, getting the mittens that Theresa had selected, scanning its barcodes, and putting them carefully into the shopping bag.

“Lastly, we’d like to get some blankets for the babies.” Theresa told the shopkeeper, “and we’d like to get the pink, blue and white blankets, one set of each please.”

Then, the shopkeeper got the blankets that Theresa asked for – with each color coming in a set of four. She then scanned its barcodes, and put them carefully into the shopping bag as well.

Afterwards, the total amount of the things they bought was shown on the pole display of the cash register. Then, Theresa paid for the things that they bought and after that, they headed home.

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now putting the things that they bought for Olivia and Oliver inside the cabinet and drawers in Hilda’s room that once contained Hilda’s clothes from when she was still a baby.

“We’ve surely bought a lot of clothes for the babies, haven’t we?” Theresa said as she folded the onesies, “But we’ve saved a lot even if we bought from a shop, rather than from a department store. We’ve shopped quality clothes for the babies and helped a local business at the same time!”

“Good thing we’ve got enough space to put the clothes for our babies this time around!” Philip remarked as he put the beanie hats into a drawer next to the cabinet.

“Oh, I remember on the first few weeks when we had Hilda.” Theresa told Philip as she put the onesies into the cabinet, “The clothes kept arriving – from the shopping that we did, and from people who gave them to her as presents, and we had to put them in boxes, in our closet, while we waited for the custom-made cabinet for Hilda’s clothes to arrive.”

“Did I have so much clothes when I was a baby?” Hilda asked her parents.

“You sure did!” Theresa told Hilda, “And you looked so cute in them!”

“Will Olivia and Oliver look cute in these clothes too?” Hilda asked as she placed the mittens into the drawer beside the drawer that contained the beanie hats.

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa replied, “They’ll look cute in the clothes that we bought too!”

“That’s because your mummy has a wonderful taste in fashion!” Philip told Theresa.

“And you as well, love!” Theresa told Philip.

Then, Theresa and Philip giggled at the exchange they just made. Hilda giggled at her parents as well. At this point, Hilda didn’t feel any jealousy about having younger siblings. That’s because her parents made it a point to include her in the preparations, so that she does not get left out. The preparations for the babies that they did as a family served to strengthen their bond as well, because their bond as a family needs to become stronger, especially now that there are little ones along the way.


	55. Welcoming the New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May, along with her husband, Philip, and her daughter, Hilda, celebrate the New Year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to wish all the readers of this fanfiction a Happy New Year! Here's to an amazing 2019 for all of us!

_January 1, 2020 – Maidenhead_

Fireworks illuminated the skies as the clock struck at midnight. The New Year has finally rung in. Another amazing year is up ahead for the Mays, who celebrated the New Year in their home.

“Mummy, what are those colourful things in the sky called?” Hilda asked as she marveled at the fireworks.

“Those are called fireworks.” Theresa explained to her daughter, “They come from firecrackers.”

“Wow!” Hilda said in awe as she continued looking at the fireworks display from the window of the family home.

“You know, love,” Philip told Theresa, “I’m so glad of all the amazing things that happened in the past year. Your success as the Prime Minister, and the fact that our family is growing!”

“I’m glad of all the amazing things that happened in the past year as well.” Theresa replied, “Nothing makes me happier more than seeing our country, and our family, being in a good place.”

“Happy New Year, love.” Philip told Theresa.

“Happy New Year to you as well, love.” Theresa told Philip.

“Shall we kiss?” Philip asked Theresa.

“Yes we shall.” Theresa answered.

Then, Theresa and Philip shared a chaste kiss as the fireworks continued to illuminate from the skies.

“Awww!” Hilda spoke as her parents finished sharing a sweet moment together.

“Happy New Year, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

“Happy New Year, mummy and daddy!” Hilda said in response, after which, she went closer to her parents and hugged them both. Theresa and Philip then hugged their daughter back.

* * *

The New Year’s service had just ended at St. Andrew’s Church, where the Mays go to church to. The parishioners started to file out of the church after the New Year’s service, and some decided to leave right away, while others decided to stay around at the church’s courtyard.

As the Mays made their way out of the church, they were met by Blitz, the border collie who is frequently spotted along the church whenever there is a service.

“Hello there!” Theresa said as she went near Blitz.

“Hi doggie!” Hilda said to Blitz as she waved her hands.

The owner of Blitz then walked up to the Mays, and exchanged pleasantries with them. Like the Mays, the owner of Blitz also goes to the same church, and brings the dog along with him. Then, for a few moments, Blitz’s owner answered some questions from Hilda about the dog. After that was done, the Mays and Blitz’s owner exchanged their goodbyes, then, they continued to make their way towards the church courtyard.

* * *

 

The Mays then had a New Year’s luncheon at their home right after the New Year’s service. This time, they had some lasagne, lamb roast and strawberry pie. After Hilda said grace, she and her family proceeded to start eating.

Theresa, Philip and Hilda enjoyed the luncheon and talked about so many things – from Theresa’s plans as Prime Minister, to Philip’s plans as a banker, and all the way to the things that Hilda looks forward to doing in the next months of the year. Moreover, they talked about their plans once the babies are born.

“Mummy, how long will you and daddy be at home after Olivia and Oliver are born?” Hilda asked her parents. Earlier on, her parents had mentioned that they’d both be taking leaves once the twins are born. Hilda welcomed this news because it means that she gets to spend more time with both her mummy and daddy.

“Your daddy and I have decided that we’ll be taking a two-month leave, starting on April.” Theresa told Hilda, “That means that we’ll both be taking time off work for two months.”

“Who’s going to be Prime Minister while you’re not working?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Your Aunt Amber will be Prime Minister while I’m on leave.” Theresa answered, referring to her Deputy Prime Minister, whom Hilda has fondly called as “Aunt Amber”.

“Who’s going to do your work while you’re not working?” Hilda asked her father.

“Well, I’ve asked Arthur to take over while I’m on leave.” Philip told Hilda.

“But he broke your printer one time!” Hilda told her father, referring to what her father had told her and her mother about that time when Arthur, her father’s coworker, had accidentally broken the printer in her father’s office, which resulted to his secretary, Brendan, having to use the printer of another department in the company that her father works for when her father had asked for him to print out some documents.

“He didn’t mean to break my printer, and he apologized for it as well.” Philip explained to Hilda, “And the printer was fixed the next day. Everything will be alright, sweetie.”

“Okay.” Hilda responded.

Then, after a few moments, Hilda piped up, asking her father, “Can I help you and mummy take care of the babies?”

“Of course!” Philip told Hilda, “Your mummy and I need your help too!”

“And your baby sister and brother would love it when you spend your time with them, too.” Theresa told Hilda.

“I’m so excited to meet my baby sister and baby brother soon!” Hilda said with glee.

“And we’re so excited to meet them too!” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

The Mays spent the rest of their New Year’s day luncheon eating some more food, as well as having more conversations. They welcomed the new year with excitement and optimism, and looked forward to the amazing experiences that they will have in the coming months.


	56. Making Arrangements at Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip May have made arrangements with the people they have designated to temporarily do their duties at work once they start going on leave for the birth of the new additions to their family.

_January 8, 2020 – 10 Downing Street_

With the first Prime Minister’s Questions of the year done, Prime Minister Theresa May went on to chair the first cabinet meeting of the year. There were a lot of things needed to be discussed – such as the status of the United Kingdom almost a year after leaving the European Union, the autonomy of Scotland, and the upcoming royal wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.

“Perhaps we can continue the momentum of our country’s success after Brexit by inviting foreign dignitaries to Prince Andrew and Miss Ferguson’s wedding.” Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary suggested.

“The matter of whether foreign dignitaries be invited or not is best left to the couple’s discretion.” Theresa May, the Prime Minister said, “However, if Prince Andrew and Miss Ferguson would consult the government on inviting foreign dignitaries to their wedding, I will be glad to bring your suggestion up to them.”

“How about a bid for hosting the 2030 Winter Olympics?” Margot James, the Minister of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport asked.

“That could be possible.” Theresa told Margot, “After all, the United Kingdom does have the facilities required for hosting the Winter Olympics.”

 “Will you give me the permission to present a proposal on the bid, Prime Minister?” Margot asked Theresa. She was clearly enthusiastic about having the United Kingdom host the Winter Olympics for the first time.

“You are welcomed to do so.” Theresa replied, “I expect that your proposal would be convincing to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee. If you get their backing, I’m sure you’ll succeed in putting the United Kingdom forward as one of the future host countries of the 2030 Winter Olympics.”

After chairing the cabinet meeting, Theresa went on with her weekly audience with the Queen and after that, she headed back to 10 Downing Street for another meeting.

* * *

“Amber, I would like you to take over my duties as Prime Minister once my maternal leave has started.” Theresa told Amber Rudd, “You will be the Acting Prime Minister from April up until June. I have chosen you to take over for me as you are my Deputy Prime Minister, and also because of all my cabinet members, you are the most competent to take on the duties of an Acting Prime Minister.”

“Prime Minister, I would gladly take on the duties of being the Acting Prime Minister while you are on maternity leave.” Amber told Theresa. She was still in awe at the fact that she was chosen to fill in for Theresa once she starts her maternity leave. The previous year, she was promoted from Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to Deputy Prime Minister, and now, she was going to be Acting Prime Minister for two months.

“As Acting Prime Minister, you have the choice to move into 10 Downing Street temporarily as my family and I will be staying in Maidenhead during my maternity leave.” Theresa said, “Due to security reasons, however, you are to bring in your own secretary and Special Advisers while you are the Acting Prime Minister. You are to bring in your own security detail as well.”

“When do I give you the names of the staff and security detail that I’ll be bringing in?” Amber asked.

“I expect you to give me those names by next month.” Theresa told Amber, “So that there will be enough time to process the authorization of these people to enter 10 Downing Street during the time when you assume your duties as the Acting Prime Minister.”

“Duly noted, Prime Minister.” Amber told Theresa, “And by the way, thank you so much for trusting me to become the Acting Prime Minister while you’re on maternity leave!”

“You’re welcome, Amber.” Theresa responded. Then she told Amber, “When you become Acting Prime Minister, I expect you to do your job well. Is that understood?”

“Yes ma’am.” Amber replied. Being Acting Prime Minister is a serious job and Amber is determined to deliver her promise to do the job well.

* * *

Philip May was doing a lot of things at work as well. He was meeting clients and attending meetings. Now, he was holding a meeting with Arthur, a co-worker of his.

“Arthur, I’m going on a paternal leave starting this April up until June.” Philip told Arthur, his coworker, “Because of that, I’m delegating you the work that I’d be doing on the months covering the paternal leave.”

“I-I’m honored.” Arthur told Philip. Arthur had been working in the same company as Philip for five years already. Given that he is still a young professional, as opposed to Philip who has been working in the investment and banking fields for decades, being delegated with the duties of a senior banker is the last thing he’d expect, “Thank you, Mr. May!”

“You’re welcome, Arthur.” Philip told Arthur. Then, Philip said to him, “Of all the people I’ve worked with in this company, you are the most capable despite the fact that you’re relatively young. That is why I have chosen you to take over for me while I’m on my paternal leave.”

“I am so touched with what you’ve said, Mr. May.” Arthur told Philip, “I really am.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Philip told Arthur, “Now, I expect you to do the duties that will be delegated to you once I take my paternal leave well, understood?”

“Yes sir!” Arthur replied. Even if he’s only been a banker for five years, and even if he’s only young, Arthur is determined to do the job that will be delegated to him well.

* * *

Theresa was now resting on the couch of her living room in 10 Downing Street along with her husband and her daughter after having dinner together. It was such a long day for Theresa, but it was a fulfilling day for her, and nothing makes her much happier than being able to be with her family after a long day.

Philip had a long and fulfilling day as well, and like his wife, nothing makes him much happier than being able to be with his family after a long day.

“You did well at PMQs today, love!” Philip told Theresa with glee, “I am so proud of you!”

“Thank you, love!” Theresa replied, “And it seems Olivia and Oliver agree with you too. They were fluttering as I was doing PMQs.”

“They were fluttering because they know that their mummy is far better than that Jeremy Corbyn chap.” Philip told Theresa, which resulted to both of them chuckling.

“See, even our babies know that Jeremy Corbyn is not the best person to lead the country.” Theresa said, once again, resulting to both her and her husband chuckling.

“How about the cabinet meeting you had today?” Philip asked, “How did it go?”

“It went well.” Theresa replied to her husband, who listened to her attentively, “For one, Margot James suggested that our country should join the bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. I told her that she can work on that one, and it will be a success if she gets the backing of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sports committee.”

“Are you backing it too?” Philip asked, “After all, it’s going to be pretty historic if we win the bid.”

“Of course, I’m backing it!” Theresa told Philip, “And because I’m backing it, I am helping Margot out by suggesting what she could do to succeed in having the UK secure the bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2030. It’s long overdue for the UK to host the Winter Olympics and it will be a pride to our nation when we host it for the first time.”

“Mummy, what’s the Winter Olympics?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Sweetie, the Winter Olympics is a sporting event. It’s where athletes of different nations come together to play winter sports and foster unity.” Theresa explained to Hilda, “There’s also the Summer Olympics, where practically the same happens, except that athletes play summer sports instead of the winter ones.”

“What else happened today, mummy?” Hilda asked her mother once again.

“Well, we talked about Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s wedding.” Theresa spoke, “Jeremy Hunt wanted for foreign dignitaries to be invited over to the wedding. I told him that’s for His Royal Highness and Miss Ferguson to decide. But if the couple would like to consult the government on inviting foreign dignitaries, I’d be happy to let them know about Mr. Hunt’s suggestion.”

“If they do invite foreign dignitaries over, I hope to see the Japanese Prime Minister and his wife to be among them.” Philip said. Both Theresa and Philip view the Japanese Prime Minister and his wife favorably, and of all the political spouses they have met, they were the ones whom they have grown close to.

“Apart from them, I’d like to see Iceland’s Prime Minister and her husband in the wedding as well.” Theresa said. Though Theresa and Philip have only met the Prime Minister of Iceland and her husband once, they were another political couple whom they view favorably as well, “Of course, His Royal Highness and Miss Ferguson will be the ones to decide whether to invite them or not, but if they do invite them, I am looking forward to it.”

“And I as well.” Philip replied.

“I’ve also made arrangements with Amber about my maternity leave.” Theresa told Philip, “She’s glad that I chose her to become Acting Prime Minister while I’m on my maternity leave. I trust her well enough to fulfill the duties that I would be delegating to her during those times.”

“That’s really great to hear!” Philip told Theresa. He is happy that his wife found a trustworthy person to take over her duties as Prime Minister while she goes on a maternity leave.

“How about you, love?” Theresa asked, “Have you made arrangements for your paternity leave?”

“I have.” Philip said, “I’ve asked Arthur to take over my duties while I’m on paternity leave. The lad couldn’t believe that I’ve chosen him of all the people in our department. He may be one of the youngest people in my department, but he is also one of the most capable to take over my duties.”

“Well, that’s a good thing!” Theresa told Philip. She is happy that her husband has found someone trustworthy to take over his duties at work while he’s on a paternity leave.

“So does that mean you and daddy are really not working for two months?” Hilda asked both of her parents.

“Yes sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda, “Your daddy and I have made our two-month leaves official and we’ve already picked people to do our work while we’re at home.”

“So you will get to spend more time with me and my baby brother and my baby sister?” Hilda asked with glee.

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa told Hilda with glee, “Your daddy and I will be home with you, and your baby brother and your baby sister from April until June.”

“Do we still stay in the house at London on weekdays?” Hilda asked, referring to 10 Downing Street, “and go back to our house in Maidenhead on the weekend?”

“Actually, we’ll be staying in our house in Maidenhead from April until June.” Theresa explained to Hilda.

“Then who’s going to feed Larry?” Hilda asked, concerned about the welfare of the 10 Downing Street cat, whom she and her family have treated like their own.

“There are civil servants, people who work for the government, who will be feeding him.” Theresa explained, “In fact, they are also in charge of taking care of Larry.”

“Please tell them to take good care of Larry while we’re in our house in Maidenhead, okay?” Hilda told her mother.

“Of course, sweetie! Mummy will tell them to take good care of Larry.” Theresa reassured Hilda.

“Thank you mummy!” Hilda told her mother, hugging her afterwards.

“You’re welcome, sweetie!” Theresa told her daughter, hugging her back afterwards.

“Our daughter is going to grow up to be a caring person.” Philip remarked.

“She sure will.” Theresa said in agreement.

The Mays then had some more conversations, and after which, they headed to bed, ready for another amazing day.


	57. Ice Cream and a Get-Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May asks her husband, Philip to buy some ice cream for her and their daughter, Hilda and while he is shopping for some ice cream, he comes across Fiona Hill and Owen Jones. Then, a get-together between the Mays and Fiona & Owen ensues.

Philip May found himself along the ice cream aisle at Waitrose in Westminster just after work. Theresa had just sent him a message earlier on, asking him to buy her a tub of strawberry ice cream. Ever since getting pregnant, Theresa has had a lot of cravings, ice cream included.

He scanned the freezers, looking for some sugar-free strawberry ice cream. Moments later, he managed to find a tub of sugar-free strawberry ice cream. He then took a tub of the frozen treat and put it in his shopping basket. Sugar-free ice cream in a flavour other than vanilla or chocolate was not that easy to come by, and he was lucky this time that he didn’t have to go through various Waitrose branches to find that one ice cream that his wife had asked for.

Then, his phone buzzed again. He checked his phone and found that his wife had sent him another text message which read:

_Hilda wants some cookies and cream ice cream too!_

Philip then started looking for a tub of cookies and cream ice cream at the ice cream aisle. He looked for the sugar-free variant as well. It has been a practice in the May household for their sweet treats to be sugar-free despite the fact that both Philip and Hilda can eat sweet treats that aren’t sugar free. Theresa and Philip made such decision in the interest of keeping the family healthy.

After a few moments, Philip found a sugar-free variant of the cookies and cream ice cream, and it was the last tub left.  Again, he was lucky that he managed to get a tub of sugar-free ice cream that isn’t vanilla or chocolate flavoured.

Then, Philip made his way to the cashier to pay for the tubs of ice cream that he got. As he was making his way, he was met with two familiar faces.

“Mr. May!” one of the two familiar faces called.

“Hey Mr. May!” another one of the two familiar faces called.

“Fiona Hill? Owen Jones?” Philip said, recognizing the two people who were calling him.

“Hello Mr. May! Long time no see, huh?” Owen Jones told Philip.

“Well, it’s been quite long.” Philip told Owen.

“Those must be for the Prime Minister, right?” Fiona asked, referring to the tubs of ice cream in Philip’s shopping basket.

“It’s for her, and Hilda.” Philip clarified. Then he asked, “By the way, what are you up to?”

“We figured out that we wanted to grab some snacks.” Fiona explained, “Owen and I were busy tagging along with Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jess Philips for a magazine feature about cross-party friendships. We just finished going with them.”

Then, Philip’s phone rang. He answered the call, which was coming from Theresa.

“Hello love!” Philip said.

“Have you already bought the ice cream?” Theresa asked from the other line.

“I’m about to pay for it.” Philip replied, “I’ve come across Fiona Hill and Owen Jones by the way.”

“Tell them that I’ve said hi.” Theresa told Philip over the phone.

“Theresa says hi to you both.” Philip told Fiona and Owen.

“Tell her we’re glad to hear from her!” Fiona said in response.

“Fiona and Owen say that they’re glad to hear from you.” Philip told Theresa over the phone.

“That’s good to hear.” Theresa said, “Now, you better hurry home. Hilda and I can’t wait to have our ice cream!”

“Very well then, love.” Philip said, “See you soon!”

“See you too.” Theresa told him, ending the call.

Philip then paid for the tubs of ice cream, and after which, he headed home with a surprise.

* * *

“Love, I’m home!” Philip said in a sing-song voice as he entered their flat in 10 Downing Street.

Philip then walked into the living room where Theresa was reading a book to Hilda. He then set down the two tubs of ice cream on the table in the living room.

“Hello Mrs. May!” a female voice said, “Hello Hilda!”

“Fiona!” Theresa said, upon recognizing the owner of the voice that said hello to her and her daughter, who emerged into the living room.

“Aunt Fiona!” Hilda said, standing up from the couch of the living room and running straight to Fiona, hugging her afterwards.

“I figured out that I’d bring Fiona and Owen here to visit you.” Philip told Theresa, “I know that you’re always happy to see them.”

“Well Fiona that is, but Owen…” Theresa spoke.

“Hey, I’ve called out Jeremy Corbyn a few times!” Owen reacted, pouting afterwards.

“Of course, I’m glad to see you too!” Theresa told Owen, “It’s just banter, Labourite.”

“Take a seat, you two.” Theresa said to both Fiona and Owen, pointing out to the vacant seats near the living room couch.

“I’ll just get us some bowls and spoons for the ice cream, the ice cream scoops, and some water, alright.” Philip said, excusing himself to get some bowls and spoons from the kitchen, as well as glasses of water.

Fiona and Owen then took a seat on the vacant chairs. After which, they held each other’s hands rather tightly. This caught Theresa’s attention, which led her to clear her throat. Fiona and Owen, realizing that Theresa had noticed them holding hands, decided to let go of each other’s hands.

“You two have grown a lot closer, I’ve noticed.” Theresa remarked.

“We’re just friends.” Fiona stated with conviction, “Nothing wrong with friends holding hands, right?” she added, looking at Owen.

“Y-yeah, we’re _just friends_. Holding hands, _platonically_.” Owen said with conviction as well.

“Well, friends don’t hold each other’s hands the way you two do.” Theresa told Fiona and Owen, giving the two a knowing glare afterwards.

“S-so, how’s your pregnancy going, Prime Minister?” Fiona asked Theresa, hoping to divert the subject from the hand-holding that she and Owen did, to the pregnancy of her former boss.

“It’s going well.” Theresa told her, “The babies have started fluttering last month, and they’re actually fluttering as we speak.”

“You’re having twins, right?” Fiona continued to ask.

“Yes, I’m having twins.” Theresa told her.

“You know, Owen has a twin too.” Fiona told Theresa.

“My mum says raising my twin sister and I was a challenge, but nevertheless, she and dad loves us both dearly.” Owen went on, “As with our younger brother.”

“I’m sure Philip and I can handle the challenge of raising twins.” Theresa told Owen with confidence.

“Where is your twin sister?” Hilda asked Owen.

“She’s actually in Germany.” Owen explained to Hilda, “She works there, and she has a family there.”

“Do you ever miss her?” Hilda continued to ask.

“I do miss her.” Owen said, “But we get to talk often over the phone, so that makes up for the fact that she lives overseas.”

“I’m back!” Philip announced as he returned to the living room, with a tray containing five bowls, five spoons, five glasses of water and two ice cream scoops.

Philip then proceeded to set the tray down on the living room table. He then placed the five bowls on the table, and put one spoon on each bowl. Next, he set the five glasses of water on the table. After that, he opened the two tubs of ice cream and put an ice cream scoop on top of each tub.

“Philip, would you be a dear and give me five scoops of strawberry ice cream?” Theresa requested her husband.

“Sure thing, love!” Philip obliged. He picked up a bowl and carefully put five scoops of ice cream for his wife.

Then, he handed the bowl of strawberry ice cream over to her and said, “Here you go, love!”

“Thank you, love!” Theresa told her husband. Then, she started eating some ice cream.

“You’re welcome, love!” Philip responded to his wife.

“Daddy, I want two scoops of cookies and cream ice cream!” Hilda told her father.

Philip then picked up another bowl and carefully put two scoops of ice cream in it. Then, he handed it over to his daughter and said, “Here you go, sweetie!”

“Thank you, daddy!” Hilda said to her father. Then, she started eating some ice cream as well.

“You’re welcome, sweetie!” Philip responded to his daughter.

“How about you two?” Philip asked, turning to Fiona and Owen.

Fiona and Owen looked at each other for a moment, then Fiona said, “I’m getting two scoops of cookies and cream.”

“I’d like to have the same too!” Owen told Philip.

“Very well then!” Philip told the two.

Then, he took two bowls, carefully put two scoops of cookies and cream ice cream on each, after which, he handed them over to Fiona and Owen, respectively.

“Thank you, Mr. May!” Fiona and Owen said in unison.

“You’re welcome, Fiona and Owen.” Philip responded to the two.

Fiona and Owen then started to have their ice cream, exchanging glances at each other in between. Theresa and Philip found the sight adorable, so did Hilda.

“Philip.” Theresa said.

“Yes, love.” Philip answered.

“Would you mind getting some peanut butter.” Theresa requested, “I’d like to have some peanut butter along with the ice cream. I know that sounds ridiculous but this must be a result of my cravings.”

“It’s not ridiculous, love.” Philip told Theresa, “I’ll be back with the peanut butter.” He added, excusing himself to the kitchen once again, and this time, to get some peanut butter.

“Mummy, are Aunt Fiona and Uncle Owen in love?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Oh no sweetie, they’re just friends.” Theresa replied to her daughter, to the relief of Fiona and Owen.

“Then why do they look at each other the way that you and daddy look at each other?” Hilda asked her mother. Theresa noticed that too, but she did not want to go ahead and assume that Fiona Hill and Owen Jones are now in love with each other.

“Well you see, they haven’t told us that they’re in love with each other.” Theresa explained, “So we cannot say that they are in love with each other, yet.”

“I’m back with the peanut butter!” Philip announced, to the delight of Theresa.

Philip then opened the lid of the peanut butter jar, and then he set both the lid of the jar, and the jar itself on the table.

Theresa then picked up the jar of peanut butter, then proceeded to scoop some peanut butter with her spoon and made it a topping for her ice cream. Then, she carried on with eating her ice cream, which now had a peanut butter topping.

Philip then got himself a serving of strawberry ice cream as well, and he also scooped some peanut butter with his spoon and made it a topping for his ice cream. He then started to eat his ice cream, which has a peanut butter topping as well.

“This is really delicious!” Theresa remarked as she finished eating a spoon of ice cream.

“You’re right, it is!” Philip remarked, after having his first spoon of strawberry ice cream with peanut butter topping.

“Hey, I want some too!” Owen said.

“Same here!” Fiona added, “Can we have some peanut butter too, Mrs. May?”

“Of course, you two can!” Theresa told Fiona and Owen in response. She was happy that her guests were interested in having peanut butter as their topping of choice.

“How about me, mummy?” Hilda asked, “Can I have some peanut butter on my ice cream too?”

“Of course you can, sweetie!” Theresa said in approval.

Then, Fiona, Owen and Hilda proceeded to take turns in putting peanut butter on their ice cream as a topping. Then the three continued to eat their ice cream, and were visibly delighted at the combination of peanut butter and cookies and cream ice cream.

“You know, we should invite Fiona and Owen over more often.” Theresa told Philip.

“I agree.” Philip responded.

Then, the Mays and their guests continued to have a fun conversation over their ice cream with peanut butter as a topping. Getting to spend some time with Fiona Hill and Owen Jones was always something that the Mays are glad about.


	58. A Friendly Football Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda watches a football game when her mother, Prime Minister Theresa May, takes her to a friendly football match between the Westminster Academy and the Paddington Academy.

_January 17, 2020 – Westminster Academy_

Theresa May, along with her daughter, Hilda, arrived at Westminster Academy. They are there to watch a friendly football match between the academy’s Boys Football Team and Paddington Academy’s Boys Football Team. The match was put together for the visit of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and important people were also invited to watch the game, such as the Prime Minister and Margot James, the Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports.

“I hope you two have fun!” Philip told Theresa and Hilda.

“We will!” Theresa told her husband in response.

“I wish I could watch the game along with you two, but I’ve got an important meeting.” Philip told his wife and daughter with a pouty face. He really wished he could ditch that meeting to watch the football game with them, but he couldn’t ditch that meeting because he is practically the only person in his department who is authorized by his company to deal with their new client.

“Don’t worry love,” Theresa told her husband, “We’ll let you know how the game went.”

Theresa, Philip and Hilda shared a hug before Philip left for work. After the hug, Theresa and Philip kissed each other on the cheek. Then, he left for work.

“Now, where’s Margot?” Theresa asked in a soft voice.

“Prime Minister!” A female voice called.

When Theresa turned around, she saw Margot James, rushing towards her. Margot had chosen to take the London Metro to get to Westminster Academy, which explains why she’s running.

“I hope I’m not yet late!” Margot told Theresa.

“You’re not yet late, fortunately.” Theresa told Margot, “But next time, you should choose a mode of transportation that would get you here faster.”

“Hello there, Hilda!” Margot said, upon noticing the Prime Minister’s daughter.

“Hello Miss James!” Hilda said in response.

“My, Hilda has gotten taller!” Margot remarked.

“I’m tall, just like mummy.” Hilda told Margot, resulting to Margot giggling at what she said.

“And you’re pretty, just like her as well.” Margot told Hilda, resulting to Hilda giggling at what she said as well.

“Now, shall we get to the game?” Theresa asked her daughter, and Margot.

Hilda and Margot nodded in agreement, and they, and Theresa, made their way to Academy Sport, a sports facility in the school where the game is to be held.

* * *

_Buckingham Palace_

There’s still more than a month before Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York are to marry again. At this point in the wedding preparations, they had already secured a venue for the wedding ceremony. The couple chose to have their wedding ceremony at the St. George’s Chapel and the reception at the St. George’s Hall.

Now, the Prince and Sarah were holding a meeting with the people they hired to help them in preparing for the wedding.

“Melania, how are the wedding attires going?” Sarah asked Melania Knauss, whom she and her fiancé had picked as the official designer for the wedding attires. She had chosen Melania to become her maid of honor as well.

“The female entourage’s gowns are already done.” Melania said, “Your bridal gown is still being made. It’s 80% complete.”

“How about the male entourage’s suits?” Prince Andrew asked Melania.

“We’ve finished making all the suits.” Melania answered.

“When will my bridal gown be ready?” Sarah asked Melania.

“It should be ready by next week.” Melania told Sarah.

“Thank you.” Sarah told Melania, “I’m looking forward to it!”

Then, Sarah turned to Nadiya Hussein, the winner of Great British Bake-Off’s sixth series and the person whom she and her fiancé have picked to bake their wedding cake. She asked her, “How about the wedding cake, Nadiya?”

“Because of the size of the cake you have asked me to make for your wedding reception,” Nadiya explained, “We would have to start baking the cake on the morning of your wedding day. That means we need access to the kitchen of the reception venue as early as 8 am.”

“You’ll have our word.” Sarah said, “Andrew and I will ensure that you’ll get access to the kitchen of St. George’s Hall at the time you have specified.”

“Thank you.” Nadiya told Sarah.

* * *

_Academy Sport, Westminster Academy_

Barron, Melania Knauss’ son, was among those who played for Paddington Academy’s Boys Football team, and so, right after having a meeting with Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, she went straight to Academy Sport in Westminster Academy to show support for her son.

Besides the Duchess of Cambridge, the Prime Minister and the Minister of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, the Duchess’ two oldest children, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte, were also present.

“We have Gregory Williams, a mid-fielder of Westminster Academy with the ball.” The commentator said as Gregory Williams, one of the mid-fielders for Westminster Academy’s Boys Football Team maneuvered the ball towards the goal on Paddington Academy’s side of the field.

“Come on Barron!” Melania uttered under her breath as she watched her son make an attempt to steal the ball from the mid-fielder of Westminster Academy who currently has it.

Within a few moments, Barron succeeded in stealing the ball from Gregory, to the cheers of the spectators from Paddington Academy.

“And Barron Knauss, a mid-fielder from Paddington Academy has stolen the ball from Williams of Westminster Academy!” The commentator announced, “The current standing is at 1-1, and with this game being down to it’s last 50 seconds, it could either end in a draw or one of the teams could be the winner.”

“That’s my son!!!” Melania shouted as Barron maneuvered the ball towards the goal on Westminster Academy’s side of the field.

Barron is now getting closer to the goal. He is now looking for a possible angle that would enable him to kick the ball straight into the goal. Westminster Academy’s goal keeper looked determined to catch the ball that Barron is about to kick into the goal.

“Mummy, what happens if the boy near the goal catches the ball?” Hilda asked, referring to the goal keeper of Westminster Academy.

“If the boy near the goal, who is called a goalkeeper, catches the ball,” Theresa explained, “Paddington Academy won’t be getting any points.”

“And that’s a goal for Paddington Academy!” The commentator announced as Barron successfully kicked the ball into the goal, “The score is now 1-2, in favor of Paddington Academy. We now have a winner!”

“See that! My son scored a goal for his school!” Melania said cheerfully to the person seated next to her, “And now they won!!!”

* * *

The spectators from Paddington Academy watched in pride as the Duchess of Cambridge is about to award their school’s Boys Football Team a trophy. The Duchess congratulated each player of the winning team, with her son and her daughter trailing behind. Then, it was now time for the trophy to be awarded to the Paddington Academy’s Boys Football Team.

Just as she was about to award the trophy, the Duchess of Cambridge had an idea.

“George, Charlotte,” Kate said, calling her children.

“Yes mummy.” George and Charlotte said in unison.

“Would you like to help me give the trophy to the winners?” Kate asked them.

George and Charlotte looked at each other, after which, they agreed to help their mother hand the trophy over to the winners of the friendly football match.

Then, the Duchess of Cambridge, along with her children, handed the trophy over to the team captain of Paddington Academy’s Boys Football Team, and to Barron, who scored the team’s winning goal.

“Congratulations!” Kate told the team captain and Barron as she handed them the trophy.

* * *

“Has somebody ever told you that your son could make a good player to Team England?” Margot James asked Melania after the friendly football game had finished.

“Well, no one has.” Melania told Margot, “In fact, most people think Barron wouldn’t do well, but they’re wrong.”

“Well, they sure are wrong.” Margot told Melania, “A person who wouldn’t do well in football wouldn’t be able to score a goal when there’s only 50 seconds left before the game ends.”

“Wow, you won!” Charlotte told Barron with pure awe, “Congratulations!” she added.

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness!” Barron replied to Charlotte.

“Please teach me how to play football like that.” George told Barron. He was impressed at the level of skill that Barron displayed while he was playing at the field earlier on.

“If your mum and dad allow me to, Your Royal Highness, I’ll teach you, and your sister how to be better football players.” Barron told George, noting at the fact that both royal siblings had taken football lessons.

“Congratulations Melania, your son did well!” Theresa told Melania, who was still in awe at the fact that her son got his team to win the football match, despite being just a mid-fielder who has only been playing for the team for a year.

“Thank you, Prime Minister.” Melania replied to Theresa, “And congratulations on your pregnancy, by the way!”

“Thank you, Melania.” Theresa told Melania.

“And you Hilda, congratulations on being a big sister now!” Melania told Hilda.

“Thank you, Miss Knauss!” Hilda told Melania.

“You must be excited to meet your younger siblings, aren’t you?” Melania asked Hilda.

“Yes, I am.” Hilda said with an excited tone in her voice.

“So, Barron and I are heading out for lunch to celebrate,” Melania told Theresa and Hilda, “Would you two like join us?”

“We’d like to.” Theresa said. Hilda then cheered out of excitement.

“Hey, can I join you four too?” Margot asked Melania, “I don’t have any appointments after this.”

“Of course, Miss James.” Melania said, “You can join us too.”

Then, Theresa, Hilda, and Margot joined Melania and Barron for their celebratory lunch at a restaurant near the Westminster Academy.


	59. Referendums and Sandcastles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Theresa May holds another meeting to convince Nicola Sturgeon to abandon any plans of a second independence referendum, Hilda and Andrew go on a playdate in The Meadows where Andrew talks to Hilda about his mummy's plan to "leave Britain".

Theresa May is in Scotland to hold a meeting with the First Minister on the autonomy of Scotland. Ever since the United Kingdom left the European Union, the Scottish Nationalist Party, which has seats in the House of Commons, has been asking the government to recognize a second independence referendum. This is despite the Scottish economy not doing badly after Brexit took place.

Theresa was joined in her trip by her husband, who decided to take the day off work to join the trip, as well as their daughter. While their wives are having their meeting, Philip May and Peter Murrell decided to take their children to The Meadows, one of the best parks in Edinburgh.

“Mummy wants us to leave Britain.” Andrew, Nicola and Peter’s son, told Hilda as they were building sandcastles on the sandbox in the children’s playground at The Meadows.

“Where will you go?” Hilda asked, wondering which place Andrew and his family would move to when they leave the United Kingdom.

“Mummy says she’s going to make Scotland a new nation.” Andrew explained to Hilda.

“How is she going to do that?” Hilda asked, wanting to find out how her godmother would turn Scotland into a new nation, when it is already part of an existing nation.

“With an independence referendum.” Andrew said.

“What’s that?” Hilda asked, not having much of an idea of how an independence referendum works.

“Mummy says people choose if they want Scotland to be a new nation or not.” Andrew said, trying his best to explain what an independence referendum is, even though he can’t really grasp the essence of it.

“Like an election?” Hilda asked.

“I think.” Andrew replied.

“Please don’t leave.” Hilda told Andrew. She didn’t know that Scotland being an independent nation would mean that people from the remaining territories of the UK who would visit Scotland might need additional requirements to visit Scotland, but she knew that if Scotland leaves the UK, she and Andrew might not be able to see each other again.

“I don’t want to go.” Andrew told Hilda in a fashion similar to the Tenth Doctor’s when he was about to regenerate into the Eleventh Doctor. Based on what Andrew had heard from his mother about what happens when Scotland leaves the United Kingdom, he knew that it means he and Hilda might not see each other anymore.

Philip and Peter watched their children as they talked about Scotland leaving the United Kingdom. Then Philip turned to Peter and said, “This is why you shouldn’t support an independence referendum.”

To which Peter replied to, “It’s not like we’re going to ban all foreigners from visiting us after we go independent!”

“But it’s going to affect the free movement between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom!” Philip responded, “Even our children know that!”

* * *

“If you need any proof that calling an independence referendum is not the best option, one need look no further.” Theresa told Nicola Sturgeon as she pointed to Hilda and Andrew.

After Theresa and Nicola had their meeting, their husbands and children returned to Bute House to meet up with them. Now, they were at the living room of the First Minister’s official residence.

“While they were building sandcastles, Andrew told Hilda that Nicola wanted Scotland to leave the UK.” Philip told his wife, “And obviously, both of them don’t want to part ways for good.”

“Like what I told him,” Peter told Theresa, in reference to Philip, “Scottish independence isn’t going to result to us banning all foreigners from visiting Scotland!”

“Scottish independence only means we get to have more control of Scotland.” Nicola continued, telling both Theresa and Philip, “Control which you folks at Westminster have deprived from us for so long!”

“For your information, the government has granted you autonomy since 1999 through devolution.” Theresa told Nicola, reminding her that Scotland does in fact, have substantial control over its own territory.

“Ooooh, burn!” Philip said playfully, resulting to both Nicola and Peter pouting at him.

“Please don’t leave the United Kingdom,” Hilda said in the sweetest voice to her godmother, the First Minister, “If you leave the United Kingdom, Andrew is going to be sad, and you don’t want him to be sad.”

“That’s so thoughtful of you.” Nicola told Hilda as she held her hand, “Of course I don’t want Andrew to be sad. No mummy wants their child to be sad.”

“So, will you consider not calling another independence referendum?” Theresa asked Nicola.

“For now, I will.” Nicola said in response, to the delight of Theresa, as well as to the delight of Philip and Hilda, “But don’t get your hopes too high, Prime Minister.”

Andrew, upon hearing that her mother would not call the referendum, ran straight to her and gave her a hug. Theresa, Philip and Hilda then giggled at them both. Peter giggled at his wife and son as well.

* * *

“Who would have thought that our children would influence you not to call an independence referendum?” Theresa asked Nicola as they had snacks at the dining room in the Bute House.

“Well, I realized it’s still too early to call another independence referendum.” Nicola told Theresa, “Plus, the Scottish Parliament Election takes place next year. I wouldn’t want the people of Scotland to get what they call the voter’s fatigue. If they get that, the turnout to the Scottish Parliament Election could go low.”

“I’m glad you’ve realized that.” Theresa told Nicola, eating a bar of Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers afterwards.

“But I’m still calling another independence referendum after the Scottish Parliament Elections if you lot in Westminster don’t give us the proper amount of autonomy!” Nicola told Theresa in jest, giggling afterwards.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen if Ruth Davidson takes your job.” Theresa told Nicola, giggling as well, “She’s doing pretty well in the surveys, sometimes outranking you as well.”

“She can have my desk, but _she can’t have my job_!” Nicola said in playful and somewhat defensive tone. She had said the same thing to Kezia Dugdale during a televised debate before the 2016 Scottish Parliament Elections.

“Well, she’s capable enough to have both your desk and your job.” Theresa replied, smirking afterwards, “Ruth is a serious politician, after all.”

Nicola giggled once again, because Theresa had a point, Ruth was a formidable opponent.

“So, how is your pregnancy going?” Nicola asked Theresa.

“Well, I’ve been pregnant for five months now.” Theresa told Nicola, “The babies have started to flutter.”

“That’s adorable!” Nicola said, “I remember when I was pregnant with Andrew. He started fluttering while I was having a meeting with my cabinet.”

“These two,” Theresa said, putting her palm on top of her belly, “Started fluttering while I was eating the pasta that I cooked for the family for Hilda’s birthday and our Christmas celebration.”

“How does it feel being pregnant with twins?” Nicola asked, curious about how a twin pregnancy would work.

“Well, I haven’t been pregnant before this. This is my first time to be pregnant.” Theresa explained, “So I wouldn’t know how a pregnancy is like for someone who is only carrying one. But, as for what it’s like to be pregnant with twins, I get a lot of cravings and I’ve put on some weight already.”

“But you’re still looking as amazing as ever.” Philip remarked, “And you’re still as strong as ever.”

“That’s so sweet, love!” Theresa replied to her husband, “Thank you!”

“I’ve got nothing but respect for my Prime Minister, and my lovely wife!” Philip told Theresa in response.

“How is Hilda handling being an older sister now?” Nicola asked Theresa.

“She’s handling it well.” Theresa confidently told Nicola, “In fact, she is excited to meet her younger siblings.”

“That’s good to hear!” Nicola replied, “As for Andrew, well, Peter and I hope that if he gets a younger sibling, he’d handle it well too.”

“I’m sure he will.” Theresa told Nicola, “You just have to get him involved with preparing for the arrival of his younger sibling, should he have one. And of course, continue to spend time with him as you wait for the baby to arrive. It works for Philip and I when it comes to Hilda.”

“Am I going to get a baby brother or a baby sister like Hilda?” Andrew piped up.

Nicola and Peter looked at each other for a few moments, then Nicola said, “If it happens, then yes, you’ll get a baby brother or a baby sister like Hilda.”

Andrew seemed contented with his mother’s answer.

Then, the Prime Minister’s family, as well as the First Minister’s family continued to have a conversation over snacks. It has been quite a long time since they last saw each other, and spending time together doing something other than politics (although their conversations sometimes tackle politics) is refreshing for them.


	60. Another New Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda spends the day in the daycare of the House of Commons as her mother, Theresa May pays a visit to Yvette Cooper and finds out that the Blairite faction of the Labour Party are about to call a confidence vote on their party's leader. Meanwhile, Laura Alvarez and Jeremy Corbyn welcome their first child.

_January 17, 2020 – Palace of Westminster_

“Mr. Corbyn, your wife just called, she said she’s about to give birth.” Jeremy Corbyn’s secretary said.

Jeremy Corbyn had just returned from a series of meetings with his MPs. He had been the subject of another no-confidence vote in the Labour Party that was mounted by the party’s Blairite faction. Now, he had to convince his MPs why supporting the call for a vote of no-confidence is not a good idea.

Jeremy did not say any word after his secretary had informed him that his wife was about to give birth, instead, he just rushed out of his office in Parliament.

“Sir, you left your red box.” His secretary said as he held on to the Leader of the Opposition’s red box as he watched him rush out of his office.

* * *

Theresa May had just returned from a series of meetings as well, and now, she was on her way to pick her daughter up from the daycare in the House of Commons. Before that, she needed to pass by Yvette Cooper’s office to hand her a letter.

When she entered the Home Affairs Select Committee chair’s office, she was met with the sight of Yvette Cooper frantically taking a phone call. Theresa waited for a bit until Yvette finished her call.

“Me as a possible Labour leadership candidate?” Yvette said over the phone, “The no-confidence vote against Corbyn hasn’t even taken place yet, and now you’re thinking of who to replace him with?”

 _Looks like Labour is now in shambles_ , Theresa thought to herself. Earlier that week, there had been talks already of the Labour party’s Blairite faction subjecting Jeremy Corbyn to a vote of no-confidence. She just didn’t expect it to happen _this soon_.

“Look, I am not a Blairite.” Yvette insisted over the phone, “Therefore, I am not going to join you and your fellow Blairites in overthrowing Corbyn.”

Then for the next few moments, Yvette and whoever was on the other end of the phone, were trying to one another to agree with the propositions that they were suggesting to one another.

“You know what, I’ll get back to you when Corbyn actually loses the confidence vote.” Yvette said, ending the call afterwards.

“I see someone has been trying to convince you to become the next Leader of the Opposition, huh?” Theresa said as she walked towards Yvette’s desk.

“That’s exactly what’s happening.” Yvette told Theresa, “They want me to become the next Labour leader after Corbyn gets, in their own words, _overthrown_.”

“If I were in Labour, I would be backing you as the party’s leader as you are capable of being one. Except…” Theresa paused, then continued, “…I am not a member of the Labour party, and I am in fact, the leader of the Conservatives, and the Prime Minister.” She added, chuckling afterwards.

“I appreciate your admiration for my leadership skills.” Yvette said with a smile, “Now, what brings you to my office, Prime Minister?”

“I have come here to personally deliver you a letter,” Theresa spoke as she handed Yvette the letter she was brining for her, “It’s in response to the letter you have sent me about your concerns about the acceptance of refugees by the United Kingdom now that we have left the European Union.”

“Thank you.” Yvette said as she received the letter, “I appreciate your gesture of taking the time to answer my concerns, and personally delivering such answers to me.”

“You’re welcome.” Theresa replied, then she proceeded to ask Yvette a question “Regarding this vote of no-confidence thing that’s going on in your party, what is happening so far?”

“The Corbynites are trying their best to stop the no-confidence vote from taking place. The Blairites are pushing for it.” Yvette explained, “It’s not helping that Tony Blair is still out there, roaming free, despite the Iraq Inquiry pointing out that he has done war crimes during the Iraq war.”

“Have the Blairites been courting people other than you to take over the Labour leadership after they, as you said in their own words, overthrow Corbyn?” Theresa asked Yvette. She is, after all, curious about how far the Blairites would go to ensure that Jeremy Corbyn would cease being the Labour Party leader.

“They’re trying to get Ed Miliband to become Labour leader for a second time.” Yvette said, “And they’re trying to get Kezia Dugdale, and Liz Kendall, to consider being the next Labour leader as well. I’ve heard though, that if all else fails, they’d get Tony Blair to be leader again.”

“They’re considering Tony Blair too?!?” Theresa asked with her eyes going wide. Then, she told Yvette, “You know, his prime as a politician has already passed. People have moved on from Blair and his New Labour.”

“Exactly.” Yvette told Theresa, “Besides, he’s a liability to the Labour party, and if you faced him at PMQs, you’d be miles better than him when you answer his questions, just like how you did when you got to ask him a question during PMQs back in 1998.” She added, referring to the fact that when Theresa had got to ask Tony Blair a question at PMQs in 1998, all Tony Blair could give her was a shallow answer, to a question that had substance.

“Look, us Conservatives would be happy to spar with Labour.” Theresa told Yvette, “But to face us with a leader who has more superficial than substantial isn’t fair to your party.” She added.

“That’s what I, and most of the people in the party think.” Yvette explained, “The New Labour-style politics has been proven to not work. It’s the reason why people in this country have felt that politicians have failed them.”

“And that’s why people from both parties are working hard to restore the trust of the people in us, the politicians.” Theresa told Yvette, “It’s why your party, and my party, are engaging in quality control when it comes to how we present our policies, and how we run our parties.”

* * *

_The Whittington Hospital, Islington_

“Would you look at that, our baby girl is finally here.” Laura Alvarez told her husband as she held their newborn daughter in their arms.

“She’s got your hair.” Jeremy told Laura, referring to the baby’s jet black hair.

“Harriet’s got your rosy cheeks too!” Laura remarked, referring to the baby girl’s cheeks that were as rosy as her father’s.

“And she’s got your nose too!” Jeremy remarked as well, referring to the baby girl’s nose that looked a lot like a small version of her mother’s.

Then, a nurse entered the portion of the maternity ward where Laura was with her daughter and her husband. The nurse had a clipboard along with her.

“Ma’am, Sir.” The nurse said, getting Laura and Jeremy’s attention, “If you have a moment to spare, here is your daughter’s birth certificate. We’d like for you two to go over it again before we have the birth of your daughter registered with the government.”

“Sure.” Jeremy said as he took the clipboard from the nurse. Then, he brought the clipboard over to his wife so they could go over the birth certificate together.

The birth certificate read:

_This is to certify that Harriet Camila Corbyn weighing 6lbs 2oz was born on the day of Friday, 17th January to Jeremy Bernard Corbyn and Laura Alvarez in the year of 2020_

“Well, there are no corrections required.” Laura told the nurse, “and my husband and I have already signed on it earlier on.”

“In that case, I would like to have the clipboard back now.” The nurse requested.

Laura obliged, handing the clipboard over to her husband, who handed it back to the nurse for her.

* * *

Theresa had already delivered Yvette’s letter to her, and now, she was in the daycare of the House of Commons to pick her daughter up.

“Hilda, mummy’s here!” Theresa called out.

“My mummy’s already here.” Hilda told the two children that she is playing with upon noticing that her mother had already arrived.

“Bye Hilda!” One of the two children said, “See you again soon!”

“Goodbye Hilda!” Another one of the two children said, “See you again soon!”

“See you again soon too!” Hilda said in response as she waved goodbye to both of the children.

Then, Hilda ran towards the exit of the daycare and went to the shoe rack, where she looked for her shoes. When she finally found it, she put it on. Then, her mother reached out her hand to her, which she took and then, both mother and daughter left the daycare of the House of Commons.

Theresa and Hilda then made their way towards the cafeteria in the House of Commons to have some afternoon snacks. Hilda always looked forward to going to the House of Commons cafeteria, because she loves the freshly-baked cookies that they sell there.

* * *

As Theresa and Hilda were enjoying their afternoon snacks at the House of Commons cafeteria, Theresa Villiers passed by their table. The MP for Chipping Barnet had with her a tray with a slice of chocolate cake and a can of Irn Bru on it.

“Mind if I sit here, Prime Minister?” Villiers asked.

“I don’t mind at all.” Theresa told her in response.

When Theresa Villiers had seated, then she said, “Hello there, Hilda!”

“Hello!” Hilda told her.

“My, it’s been a long time since I last saw you.” Villiers told the Prime Minister’s daughter, “You’ve grown so much already!”

Hilda smiled at what Theresa Villiers had said to her.

“And now you’re going to be an older sister!” Villiers told Hilda, “I have two older brothers too. When my mummy was pregnant with me, they were so excited to meet me. You must be very excited to meet your younger siblings too.”

“Mummy says I’ll meet them on May.” Hilda told Villiers, “I am so excited to meet them!”

As the MP for Chipping Barnet talked to the Prime Minister’s daughter, Yvette Cooper, who was carrying a tray with sundae ice cream and a glass of water, passed by the table where they, and the Prime Minister were seated. Then, Yvette asked if she could sit with them too, and they were happy to let her sit with them.

“I hope you two don’t mind me, a Labourite, hanging out with you two.” Yvette said, giggling afterwards.

“Nobody said people from opposing parties can’t share a table here.” Villiers said, “I mean look at Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jess Phillips.” She added, as she pointed out to the two MPs, who were seated on a table across theirs.

“Well yeah, they’ve been best friends for quite some time.” Yvette told Villiers, “I haven’t really been hanging out with any Tory, not that I hate Tories of course. It’s just that I’m with Labourites most of the time.”

Then, Yvette’s phone vibrated. When she checked her phone, there was a text message coming from Emily Thornberry which read:

_Jeremy’s wife, Laura, just gave birth. With that, he has told me that the meeting tonight with the Parliamentary Labour Party is still pushing through. He’s asked me to chair it._

Yvette then looked up from her phone, and told her two colleagues, “Laura Alvarez just gave birth.”

“Aunt Laura’s baby is here?” Hilda asked Yvette.

“That’s lovely to hear!” Theresa told Yvette, “Congratulations to her!”

“Corbyn must be so happy right now!” Villiers told Yvette.

“Yup, her baby is here.” Yvette told Hilda, then Yvette told her two colleagues, “That’s the kind of good news he needs right now considering what’s going on with the Labour Party.”

“You shouldn’t give him such a hard time for now.” Villiers told Yvette, “It would be tough on a parent who’s just had their child to face a vote of no-confidence while looking after their newborn.”

“Personally, I would push back the vote of no-confidence until Jeremy and Laura have gotten the hang of looking after a baby, even though this is the fourth time for Jeremy to be a dad.” Yvette said in response, “I hope the Blairites think the same. I mean nobody tried to give Tony Blair such a hard time when he and his wife had their youngest.”

“Mummy, when can we meet Uncle Jelly and Aunt Laura’s baby?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Well, when he invites us to meet their baby,” Theresa told Hilda, “Then that’s the time we get to meet their baby.”

* * *

Jeremy and Laura looked at their bundle of joy with awe. Harriet is the best thing to ever come to their lives. Harriet Camila is the one that kept them grounded even with all the things that’s going on, like Jeremy possibly being subjected to a vote of no-confidence by the Blairite faction of the Labour Party.

“Ya sabes, me has hecho muy feliz en este momento.” Jeremy told Harriet, who was now in his arms, “Y por una vez, he dejado de pensar mucho en el trabajo por tu culpa.”

All Harriet did was coo at her father, who was telling her about how she’s made him happy and how she’s given him something else to think about besides work.

“Eres el mejor que ha venido a nuestras vidas.” Laura told Harriet, who then cooed back at her.

“I’ll let Emily deal with getting the Parliamentary Labour Party to reconsider any proposals from the Blairites to mount the vote of no-confidence,” Jeremy told Laura, “Voy a disfrutar este momento con las dos hembras que más me importan.”

“Te quiero mucho, Jeremy.” Laura told her husband as she looked at him endearingly.

“Yo también te quiero mucho, Laura.” Jeremy told his wife in response, looking at her endearingly as well.

“Y te queremos mucho, Harriet.” Laura and Jeremy told their daughter in unison.

Then, Harriet cooed at both her mother and father.

“Awww!” Laura and Jeremy said in unison, marveling at how adorable their daughter is.

Jeremy might be experiencing a tough situation in his political career, but it seems that his daughter, as well as his wife, whom he had seen as his strength and support, has made it easier for him to face such situation.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Ya sabes, me has hecho muy feliz en este momento. = You know, you’ve made me really happy right now.  
> Y por una vez, he dejado de pensar mucho en el trabajo por tu culpa. = And for once, I've stopped thinking so much about work because of you.  
> Eres el mejor que ha venido a nuestras vidas. = You are the best one that's ever come to our lives.  
> Voy a disfrutar este momento con las dos hembras que más me importan. = I'm going to enjoy this moment with the two females who matter to me the most.  
> Te quiero mucho = I love you so much  
> Yo también te quiero mucho = I love you so much too  
> Y te queremos mucho = We love you so much


	61. A Saturday in Islington

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip wake up to a pleasant surprise on a Saturday morning and after that, they, along with their daughter, Hilda, visit Harriet, Jeremy and Laura's daughter for the first time.

_February 8, 2020 – Maidenhead_

Theresa and Philip May were still sleeping peacefully, with Theresa cuddling her husband, as the sun was rising when suddenly, he seemed to have started giggling in his sleep. Theresa slowly opened her eyes and found out that her husband was in fact, wide awake, while giggling.

“Love, what’s making you laugh?” Theresa asked her husband, “Is it a funny dream you just had?”

“It’s not a dream that’s making me laugh,” Philip said in between his laughter, “There’s something, something that’s poking my back, and it feels ticklish.”

Theresa fell silent for a few moments. Then, she felt the same poking sensation that Philip was feeling, but on her stomach. Then she realized, the twins had started to kick.

“That something that’s poking your back,” Theresa explained, “Are our children.”

“You mean they’ve started to kick now?” Philip asked with excitement. He was this excited when his wife had announced that she is pregnant, he was also this excited when he found out the gender of the twins, and when his wife told him over the birthday celebration they did for Hilda that the babies had started to flutter.

“Yes, they’ve already started to kick.” Theresa told Philip with excitement as well. She was just as excited when she found out she is pregnant, when she found out the gender of the twins she is carrying, and when the twins started to flutter as she was celebrating Hilda’s birthday with her and Philip.

Then, Philip turned to face Theresa and said, “Witnessing our babies kick for the first time is such a good way to start the day, isn’t it?”

“It is.” Theresa said with a smile as she put her palm on top of her belly.

“And, has anyone told you that you look glowing lately?” Philip asked Theresa.

“Well, you’ve been telling me that in the past few weeks,” Theresa said with a laugh, “And you’ve just told me that right now.”

“You’re looking more beautiful each day, do you know that?” Philip told Theresa with a smile on his face.

“I do know that,” Theresa answered, “And in addition to that, my belly has been growing. The baby bump has become more prominent these days.”

“I’ve noticed that too.” Philip told Theresa. For him, he didn’t mind that the pregnancy had made his wife put on additional weight, he still found her as lovely as ever. Moreover, what mattered for him is that his wife is doing well towards the course of her pregnancy.

As the sun continued rising, Theresa and Philip got up and fixed their bed. Then, they proceeded to wake Hilda up for breakfast.

* * *

_Islington, London_

It has been three weeks since Laura Alvarez gave birth to Harriet. It has been three weeks since Jeremy Corbyn became a father for the fourth time. In those three weeks, the couple was still adjusting to raising an infant, which included having to wake up in the early hours of the morning or in the middle of the night whenever Harriet cried at those times.

Jeremy Corbyn had decided to take a paternity leave, realizing that juggling his responsibilities as Leader of the Opposition and caring for an infant was not an ideal thing to do. He also did it upon the suggestion of his wife, who told him that the baby needs both her mother and father to be with her.

“Are you full now?” Jeremy asked Harriet after her mother fed her.

Harriet answered with a loud burp.

“It’s a yes from her, _amor_.” Jeremy told his wife, Laura.

“She’s been eating well you know.” Laura told her husband, Jeremy, “We’re lucky that Harriet is generally healthy!”

“We’re really fortunate.” Jeremy told Laura, “Not to mention, the baby box helped a lot!”

“You’ve got the Prime Minister and the government she’s leading to thank for that.” Laura told Jeremy, “Without her and her government, we’d be struggling with the baby, especially as the Blairites trying to plot against you happened to coincide at the same week our daughter was born.”

“I guess I’ve got the Prime Minister to thank for that.” Jeremy said with a smile, realizing that for once, he isn’t disagreeing with the Prime Minister on something.

Then, the doorbell to their home rang, and along with that, El Gato started to meow. He always does it whenever someone rings the doorbell.

“Well, looks like we’ve got visitors.” Jeremy announced. He and Laura had been receiving visitors since they brought their baby home from the hospital, “I’ll just go get the door, okay.” He told his wife.

“Okay.” Laura told him.

Then, Jeremy made his way to the front door, and when he opened it, it was none other than the visitors that he and his wife were expecting for that day.

“Prime Minister, Philip,” Jeremy said, “and Hilda! How lovely to see the three of you today!”

* * *

Jeremy, Laura and their baby, Harriet, were now at the living room of their home. They were, of course, joined by their visitors, the Prime Minister, her husband, and their daughter.

“Would you like to hold her?” Laura asked Hilda in a soft voice, who is standing next to the couch where she is sitting.

“Yes please.” Hilda said.

“Here we go.” Laura said, carefully handing Harriet over to Hilda.

Theresa and Philip looked at Hilda as she held the three week-old Harriet in her arms, with the help of the baby’s mother. The two could not help but acknowledge the fact that their daughter, is holding her biological aunt, who is way younger than her, in her arms.

“So…has Jasmin visited her baby cousin yet?” Theresa asked Laura and Jeremy. She genuinely wanted to find out if Jasmin, the biological mother of her daughter, is still in contact with her family.

“She hasn’t visited yet.” Laura replied, “She says she’s too busy attending rehearsals for a musical that she got into at the West End.”

“Which musical is this, if I may ask?” Theresa asked Laura.

“TONY! The Blair Musical.” Laura said in a tone that sounded like she didn’t like the idea of her niece playing a role in a musical about her husband’s arch-nemisis.

“Which role is she playing?” Theresa asked Laura, “That is, if we’re allowed to know about it.”

“They’ve cast her as Mrs. Harriet Jones.” Laura told Theresa, “It’s a supporting role.”

“It’s interesting, really.” Jeremy said, “The character she plays happens to have the same first name as her cousin.”

As the conversation between the grown-ups in the living room continued, Hilda was busy marveling at the cuteness of Laura and Jeremy’s new baby. Mainly because in a few months, there will be not just one, but two cute babies in her family as well.

“You’re so tiny.” Hilda told Harriet in a soft voice.

Harriet cooed at Hilda, grasping the older girl’s hand afterwards.

“And your cheeks look like the ones on my dollies.” Hilda told the infant.

Then, Hilda started pulling cute faces at Harriet, like she did when she met Ruth Davidson’s children when they were still babies. The grown-ups in the room noticed what was happening and watched the adorable moment unfold.

“Hilda’s definitely going to make a great older sister.” Laura told Theresa and Philip as she watched their daughter interact with hers.

* * *

As Hilda held on to Harriet, the infant suddenly started to cry. Hilda was gobsmacked at what was happening, she knew that she didn’t do anything that caused Harriet to cry. Hilda then handed over Harriet back to her mother, knowing that Laura is the best person who could calm the baby down.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Hilda told her mother and father, “I don’t know why she’s crying.”

“Oh, it’s not your fault sweetie.” Theresa reassured Hilda, “Sometimes, babies just suddenly cry even if you don’t do anything that causes them to cry. When that happens, it means that they need something.”

“I’ve fed her already,” Laura told her husband, “And she’s still got a fresh diaper on.”

“I’ve burped her too.” Jeremy told his wife.

“Can you try cuddling her?” Laura asked her husband, “That might ease the crying.”

“I’ll give it a try.” Jeremy told his wife. After which, Laura handed Harriet over to her father.

“Easy now.” Laura told her husband as he held on to their daughter.

“Hush now, little one.” Jeremy said in a soft voice as he started to rock the infant back and forth softly.

But Harriet was still crying.

“Idiot, you’re holding the baby wrong.” Theresa frankly told Jeremy, who was holding Harriet in a vertical position, “You can’t hold a newborn like that! The bodies of newborns are not yet strong enough to withstand being held vertically.”

“Uncle Jelly doesn’t know how to hold a baby!” Hilda said, making fun of the Labour leader who was trying to figure out how to hold his newborn properly.

“I think it’s best that you let Theresa carry the baby for now.” Laura suggested, because honestly, she is so done with her husband failing to stop the baby from crying at that moment.

Jeremy reluctantly handed Harriet over to Theresa, who carried the baby in a horizontal matter. After rocking the baby softly in a back and forth motion, Harriet had already stopped crying.

“See, just like this.” Theresa told Jeremy, as well as Laura, after Harriet had calmed down.

“Is this the first time you’ve held a newborn baby?” Philip quizzed Jeremy.

“Well I’ve held the newborn babies of some of my constituents, though briefly.” Jeremy told Philip, “As well as my older sons when they were still newborns.”

“About your older sons,” Philip said, “Have you held them often when they were still newborn?”

“Not often.” Jeremy replied, “I usually let their mother do it because I’m busy with my work as an MP, and an activist.”

“And that’s where you’re wrong.” Philip said in a stern tone, “Of course you’ll find it hard to hold a newborn! You’re too busy dabbling in politics that you couldn’t make time to hold any of your older sons when they were still newborns.”

“The involvement of a father is just as important as the involvement of a mother in taking care of their newborn baby.” Theresa told Jeremy, “You should have known that already, considering that you’ve been a father three times before Harriet was born.”

“Like I know holding a newborn horizontally isn’t ideal.” Jeremy said, “It’s just that I may have forgotten that, because of how fast this is all happening.”

“Well now you know the proper way of holding a baby.” Theresa told Jeremy, “Laura, and especially Harriet, will thank you for it.”

Jeremy simply nodded in agreement. Theresa and Philip did have a point, he needed to spend more time with the baby. After all, Harriet needs her father just as much as she needs her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Amor = Love


	62. A Valentine's Day Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa is surprised with a Valentine's Dinner at home with her family that her husband, Philip has put together with the help of Fiona and Owen. Meanwhile, Fiona and Owen have a conversation that brings them more closer to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to wish everyone who is reading this fanfic a Happy Valentine's Day!

_February 14, 2020 – Maidenhead_

Theresa had just returned home from consulting with her constituents. When she opened the door to her house, she had noticed that the house has been decorated, as if for a special event. Theresa then made her way into the living room.

“Philip!” she called out, “Hilda!”

After a few moments, there was no answer.

Then, she walked further into the living room, and towards the dining room, hoping that her husband and her daughter would show up soon.

Then, her husband emerged from the dining room.

“Good evening, love!” Philip said, “I’m glad to see that you’re home now!”

“I’m glad to see you here too!” Theresa said, “Come here, let me give you a hug!”

Then, Philip went near Theresa’s open arms and the two hugged.

“Mummy!” a voice called out.

“Hilda sweetie!” Theresa said as she and Philip finished hugging.

“Welcome home, mummy!” Hilda said, running towards her mother who was ready to give her a hug.

Theresa hugged Hilda and then told her, “Mummy is happy to be home!”

“Fiona, Owen,” Philip called out, “Kindly help Theresa with her things.”

Then, Fiona Hill and Owen Jones emerged from the kitchen and assisted the Prime Minister with the things she is carrying. The two put away the Prime Minister’s things on the living room, after which, they returned back to the kitchen.

“Now, shall we get to the dining room?” Philip asked.

“Of course.” Theresa replied. Then, she, hand in hand with her husband and her daughter, made their way to the dining room.

* * *

“I’ve put together a Valentine’s dinner for us.” Philip told Theresa, “Happy Valentine’s Day, love!”

“Thank you, love! This is so thoughtful of you!” Theresa told Philip in response, “Happy Valentine’s Day to you as well!”

Then, Fiona Hill entered the dining room along with Owen Jones, with Owen holding the tray containing a serving platter that had the main course on it.

“For the main course, we have Seafood Pasta.” Fiona Hill announced as she served the main dish.

“Was this your idea to get my former SpAd and her friend to help you put this Valentine’s Day dinner together?” Theresa asked her husband.

“Yup, this was my idea.” Philip said, “I figured out that I could use some extra help in putting this dinner together and Fiona and Owen were happy to help.”

“Buon appetito!” Owen said, after which, he and Fiona walked back to the kitchen.

As they usually do in every meal, they said grace before having their meal. Hilda led the grace before meals and after which, she and her family started eating their dinner.

* * *

Fiona and Owen were now at the kitchen, having their dinner as well. An hour before, they were busy helping Philip prepare his Valentine’s Day surprise for his wife – and they’re glad that Philip’s efforts have been paying off.

“You know, the Prime Minister actually has a nice house.” Owen mused, to the amusement of Fiona.

“Would you say that her house is better than the Leader of the Opposition’s?” Fiona asked Owen, excited to know what his answer is.

“I would say that.” Owen said, “But I’m still not leaving the Labour Party though.”

“Nobody said you’re leaving Labour.” Fiona said with a smile.

“In the one year that I have spent with you, I’ve come to know such an amazing woman who is determined to set things right and make a difference in this world.” Owen told Fiona, “I have so much respect for you.”

“Owen, that’s so sweet of you to say, really.” Fiona said, smiling at what Owen told her, “I would say the same thing about you. You’re a man who is determined to set things right and make a difference in this world. I have so much respect for you as well.”

“We’ve known each other for a year, and I’ve realized that…” Owen told Fiona, looking at her eyes afterwards.

“That?” Fiona asked, curious about what Owen was going to tell her next.

“Fiona McLeod Hill,” Owen said in a soft voice, followed by brief silence, “I’m in love with you.”

Fiona could not help but be gobsmacked at Owen Jones’ admission. Owen Jones, the socialist who is a proud Labourite, Owen Jones, the man who has only dated a woman once and has dated men ever since, is in love with her, a proud Conservative who worked for the Prime Minister, a woman who was once married, and once dated someone after that.

* * *

The Mays had finished their main course and now, they were being served their dessert – sugar-free Panna Cotta Gelato. Philip had chosen sugar-free Panna Cotta Gelato as the dessert, seeing that he wanted something new for dessert on Valentine’s Day. For the past few years, it was either sugar-free ice cream, or panna cotta – and he thought, _why not both_?

“For dessert, sugar-free Panna Cotta Gelato.” Fiona announced as Owen gave each member of the May family their sugar-free Panna Cotta Gelato.

“Enjoy!” Owen told the Mays.

Then, Fiona and Owen returned back to the kitchen once again.

“Well then, let’s give this a try, shall we?” Philip said.

“I can’t wait to find out how this tastes!” Theresa spoke.

“It looks yummy!” Hilda told her parents.

“Let’s dig in!” Theresa announced. Then, the Mays started having their sugar-free Panna Cotta Gelato. After having their first spoon of the frozen treat, the three found it delicious.

“This is really good!” Theresa told Philip and Hilda, “I like it!”

“I’m glad that you like it!” Philip told Theresa.

“This is so yummy!” Hilda said with glee, having another spoon of the frozen treat afterwards.

As Theresa ate, she felt the babies kick. To which, she said, “Well, Olivia and Oliver like it too! Just as much as they like our main course”

“I’m glad our babies like what we’re having for dessert.” Philip told Theresa, “And our main course as well.”

“This dinner you’ve prepared for us is such an amazing Valentine’s Day gift, love.” Theresa told Philip, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, love!” Philip replied.

* * *

Fiona and Owen had just finished doing the dishes, and now, they were just chatting in the kitchen. While Theresa and Philip had told them that they can join them and their daughter in the living room after they have finished doing the dishes, they decided to stay in the kitchen as they didn’t want to get in the way of the Mays having their family bonding.

“Owen, I think I should tell you something as well.” Fiona told Owen as she looked into his eyes.

“What is it?” Owen asked, this time, he was the one curious about what Fiona was going to tell him next.

“Owen Peter Jones,” Fiona told Owen, “I’m in love with you as well.”

Owen was gobsmacked as well. Earlier, he had admitted to her that he is in love with him, and now, he’s found out that she’s reciprocated his feelings. He never thought that a Conservative would fall in love with him – the only woman he’s ever dated was not a Conservative, and neither were the men he dated after her. The last thing he expects is to fall in love with a Conservative, and to have that love reciprocated.

A few moments of silence happened between the two journalists who supported opposing parties. Then, Owen spoke up, “I would like to ask you out on a date.”

“That sounds good.” Fiona told him, “When is this date?”

“The weekend after the royal wedding.” Owen told her.

“I’m in!” Fiona told Owen, to the delight of the Labourite journalist.

“Now, speaking of that wedding,” Owen said, “What time do they expect us to be there tomorrow?”

“They want us at the venue of the ceremony by 9 am.” Fiona told him, “You better be in a proper suit. This is a royal wedding we’re going to, not the press conference of the leader of the Labour Party!”

“I’ve already got a suit ready for the royal wedding.” Owen told Fiona, “I’ve prepared for this, after all.”

“Good.” Fiona told Owen, “I’m excited for the royal wedding.”

“I may be a socialist but,” Owen told Fiona, “I’m excited for it as well.”

Then the two journalists giggled.

* * *

The Mays were now at the living room. They have decided to watch Love on Ice, a Valentine’s Day movie with a plot revolving around figure skating.

“I’ve got you another gift.” Philip said with a smile as they watched the movie.

“I wonder what it is.” Theresa told her husband, excited to find out what her husband has bought her.

“This beautiful handbag!” Philip said as he unveiled a handbag which is made out of navy blue tweed.

“It is beautiful!” Theresa told her husband as she received the handbag from him, “Thank you so much for this!”

“You’re welcome, love!” Philip replied to his wife.

“I’ve got you something too!” Theresa told her husband.

“What did you get me?” Philip asked his wife.

“I’ve gotten you this briefcase.” Theresa said as she unveiled a briefcase which is made out of black tweed.

“It looks so nice,” Philip told Theresa, “Thank you so much for this!”

“You’re welcome, love!” Theresa replied to her husband.

“But you know, the greatest gift I’ve got this Valentine’s Day is being together with the people who are the closest to my heart,” Theresa said with a smile, “You and our children.”

“That’s so sweet!” Philip said with a smile as well, “That’s the greatest gift I’ve got this Valentine’s Day as well – being with my darling wife and my adorable children!”

“I love you, Philip John May.” Theresa told her husband.

“I love you too, Theresa Mary May.” Philip told his wife in response.

The Mays spent the rest of their Valentine’s Day with the movie that they’re watching. Another exciting day awaits them with the royal wedding on the next day where Hilda is the flower girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:  
> Buon appetito! = Enjoy your meal!


	63. A Royal Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip witness as their daughter, Hilda, makes her first stint as a flower girl for the wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York.

_February 15, 2020 – Westminster Abbey_

It is finally the day of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York’s wedding. The entourage, as well as the guests to the wedding are already starting to arrive for the wedding ceremony. As it is still winter, cool air accompanied the clear and sunny skies on that day.

Theresa and Philip May arrived at the Westminster Abbey, with Theresa wearing a light blue dress that she got from one of her favorite shops in Maidenhead and a matching fascinator hat from Liz Felix Millinery, and Philip wearing a black suit, also from one of his favorite shops in Maidenhead.

With them is no other than their daughter, Hilda, who is among the flower girls for the wedding. The girl is dressed in a light blue long-sleeved gown with an A-line skirt designed by Melania Knauss (an emerging fashion designer, and also Sarah’s maid of honor) and a matching flower crown. Her attire for the wedding is also the same as those of her fellow flower girls.

“Alright Hilda, mummy and daddy are going to sit there.” Theresa said, pointing out to the seats assigned for the important guests of the wedding, “And you’re going to stay here with the other flower girls and the page boys, okay?”

“Yes mummy.” Hilda told her mother as she nodded in agreement.

“Mummy and Daddy are going to join you after the wedding ceremony.” Theresa told her daughter, “For now, we’re going to head to our seats. Is that alright?”

“Yes mummy.” Hilda said, nodding in agreement with her mother once again.

“We’ll see you later, sweetie!” Theresa told her daughter.

“Have fun!” Philip told his daughter.

Then, the Prime Minister and her husband made their way to their designated seats in the Westminster Abbey. Meanwhile, Hilda joined the other flower girls and the page boys. There is fifteen minutes left before the wedding ceremony would start.

“Hilda!” Princess Charlotte called out.

“Charlotte!” Hilda called out in response.

“Uncle Andrew and Aunt Sarah are getting married!” the Princess said in excitement.

“Like Uncle Harry and Aunt Meghan!” Prince George exclaimed. He was there on the wedding of his aunt and uncle as one of the page boys.

“And Aunt Eugenie and Uncle Jack!” Princess Charlotte exclaimed as well. She was not just the flower girl on her Uncle Harry and Aunt Meghan’s wedding, but also to her Aunt Eugenie and Uncle Jack’s. Just as her older brother was also a page boy to the latter couple’s wedding.

“Alright children,” Princess Eugenie of York announced, “Mum’s going to be here in fifteen minutes, which means the wedding is about to start soon. I’ve got the baskets with me for the flower girls.”

Then, the flower girls cheered in excitement as soon as Princess Eugenie announced that she’s ready to give them the baskets with rose petals that she is bringing with her.

“I’m going to pass these on to the flower girls.” Princess Eugenie explained, then, facing to the flower girls, she said, “And as practiced, you’ll start throwing the petals as you walk on the aisle later.”

Then, Princess Eugenie started handing over the baskets with the flower petals to the flower girls for the wedding. In the weeks before the wedding, rehearsals were already being done, so the flower girls already know what they’re supposed to do when the wedding ceremony starts later on.

“And George, here are the rings.” Princess Eugenie said, giving her nephew the cushion which has the wedding rings of her parents on top of it, “As practiced, you’ll hand those over to mummy and daddy after they have exchanged vows.”

“Got it, Aunt Eugie!” Prince George said, acknowledging what his aunt had told him.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after, the Bride had finally arrived. Sarah made her way into the Westminster Abbey, wearing the wedding gown that her personal stylist and maid-of-honor had made for her. The gown had a long sleeve, as well as a train measuring 2.4 meters. To top it all off, she also wore a veil and the York Diamond Tiara.

Sarah then proceeded to greet members of her entourage – first, the flower girls and the page boys, then the bridesmaids, which included her eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, and finally, her maid-of-honor, Melania Knauss.

“Well, this is it!” Sarah told Melania, “I’m finally marrying my sweet prince once again.”

“I’m happy for you and His Royal Highness.” Melania told Sarah, “and I wish you both all the best.”

“Thank you, Melania.” Sarah said with a smile as she held Melania’s hand.

The Bride and her entourage are waiting for the signal to start walking down the aisle. Sarah had chosen to walk on the aisle on her own, instead of walking down the aisle with a person standing in for her father (who had already passed away).

Then, a few more minutes passed and the signal was finally given. The first to walk down the aisle were the flower girls, throwing petals along the way.

“See her?” Philip told the couple seated next to him and Theresa as he pointed out to Hilda among the flower girls, “That’s our daughter.” He added, pointing to himself and to Theresa afterwards.

“She looks so adorable!” The female half of the couple said to Theresa and Philip in a thick Japanese accent. The female half of the couple of course, being the Akie Abe, the wife of the Japanese Prime Minister.

“Prime Minister, you and your husband must be so proud right now.” The male half of the couple told Theresa, in a thick Japanese accent as well. The male half of the couple of course, being the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“We are.” Theresa told her Japanese counterpart.

After the flower girls had walked down the aisle, Prince George, one of the page boys, walked down the aisle next, with the wedding rings in hand. He was followed by his brother, Prince Louis. Then, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle, followed by the maid-of-honor.

Finally, it was time for the Bride herself to walk down the aisle. The whole church fell into silence, with the only sound heard being the Prelude to _Te Deum_ by Marc-Antoine Charpentier playing as Sarah walked down the aisle.

Sarah watched in awe as well as she walked closer towards the altar, where the man she is about to marry once again stood, waiting for her arrival.

Prince Andrew watched in awe as the woman he is about to marry once again made her way to the altar, where he and she would renew their vows, in front of their entourage, the wedding guests and most especially, in front of God.

Within a matter of moments, Sarah and the Prince were now together at the altar, and the wedding ceremony had officially begun.

* * *

It was now the moment that everyone in the church has all been waiting for – the exchange of vows. Prince Andrew, and Sarah in particular, were the most excited for this. After all the years of wondering whether they should rekindle their marriage or not, they have decided to rekindle their marriage and here they are, about to exchange the vows that they made 34 years ago on their first wedding.

Then, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who officiates the wedding, signaled for the royal couple to exchange their vows. Everyone fell silent as the royal couple exchanged their vows.

“Andrew and Sarah,” The Archbishop of Canterbury said, “I now invite you to join hands and make your vows in the presence of God and his people.”

“Alright George, give mummy and daddy their rings.” Princess Beatrice said, instructing her nephew to give Prince Andrew and Sarah the rings that they are about to exchange.

“Okay.” Prince George said, giving the Prince and Sarah their rings.

The couple then started to exchange their vows, with the Archbishop of Canterbury guiding them along the way as they did so.

“I Andrew, take you, Sarah, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow.” Prince Andrew said as tears of joy started to come out of his eyes.

“I Sarah, take you, Andrew, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow.” Sarah said, as tears of joy also started to come out of her eyes.

Then, the two exchanged rings, signifying their marriage.

* * *

_Buckingham Palace_

Prince Andrew and Sarah hosted a lunch reception right after their wedding ceremony. They had just cut the wedding cake, and now, the entourage, as well as the guests of the wedding, are enjoying their lunch.

As they were having dessert, Theresa felt the twins kick again.

“Is everything alright, love?” Philip asked Theresa, who put her palm on top of her belly.

“Everything’s alright.” Theresa told Philip with a smile, “The twins like what we’re eating.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Philip said, “Knowing that you, our darling Hilda, Olivia and Oliver are enjoying the food at this wedding reception makes me happy.”

“Philip, can you get me some more carrot cake?” Theresa asked her husband.

“Sure, love.” Philip said told his wife.

“Daddy, get me some more strawberry shortcake too!” Hilda told her father.

“Sure, sweetie.” Philip told his daughter.

Then he went off to the dessert buffet to get some slices of cake for Theresa and Hilda.

Meanwhile, Barron Knauss found himself by the tables where members of the Royal Family sat. Earlier on, Lady Louise Windsor had invited him to join her and her nephews and nieces.

“Barron!” Princess Charlotte called out, “We’ve got some slices of the wedding cake. Do you want some?”

“Sure! Save me a slice!” Barron replied as he rushed towards the table where the Princess is seated along with her brothers and some of their cousins and their aunt.

Barron finally made it to the table where the Princess is seated and Lady Louise handed him a dessert plate which already had a slice of cake on it.

“Aunt Kate told me that you won a football match last month.” Lady Louise said, starting a conversation with the son of the woman responsible for the wedding attire of the Bride, the Groom and their entourage.

“Yes, I did ma’am.” Barron said, confirming what Lady Louise had asked him about.

“Charlotte was very elated about it.” Lady Louise told him, “She would not stop talking about how you won for your team. For the Paddington Academy, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I play for the Paddington Academy ma’am.” Barron told Lady Louise. Upon hearing from Lady Louise about how her cousin, Princess Charlotte, wouldn’t stop talking about how he won for his team, he could not help but feel happy about it. A member of the royal family, and not just any member of the royal family, but the one whom he has grown close to, talking about him favorably.

“Barron, I know that you have started to grow close with my niece.” Lady Louise said, referring to Princess Charlotte, “And I’m actually happy about it. My cousins – her parents, after all, encourage her to befriend more people, royal or commoner.”

“I’m glad you approve of our friendship, ma’am.” Barron told Lady Louise with a smile.

* * *

Philip May is now at the dessert buffet, where he was getting the dessert items that his wife and his daughter had earlier asked him to get. At the same time, Fiona Hill and Owen Jones were also at the dessert buffet, picking one of each dessert item and putting them on their dessert plates. The two had been personally invited by Prince Andrew and Sarah (who is now The Duchess of York once again) to do coverage for their wedding.

“Fiona, Owen!” Philip told the two, “It’s nice to see you both here.”

“Mr. May!” Fiona and Owen said in unison, “It’s nice to see you here as well!”

“You two seem to be enjoying the desserts.” Philip told them, “Don’t mind me though, I’m just here to get some desserts for Theresa and Hilda. They like the desserts here too!”

Fiona and Owen nodded in acknowledgement with what Philip said, then went back to picking some dessert items. Philip also went on to pick up some slices of carrot cake and strawberry cake for his wife and his daughter, as well as another slice of carrot cake for himself since he really liked the carrot cake that was being served at the reception just as much as his wife did.

After that, he went back to where he, Theresa and Hilda are seated – leaving Fiona and Owen by themselves at the dessert buffet.

“This Rhubarb pie is delicious!” Fiona exclaimed as after had a bite of her slice of the pie.

“I know!” Owen said after taking a bite of his slice of the same pie as well.

“The wedding cake was just so delicious!” A woman with a thick Scottish accent said.

“Nadiya Hussain never fails to make such a delicious cake!” A man with a thick Scottish accent added.

Fiona and Owen turned around to see who the people complementing the wedding cake were. When they did, the people were no other than Karen Gillan and Richard Madden – one of the most famous acting personalities hailing from Scotland.

The two acting personalities noticed Fiona and Owen, which led to Richard Madden saying, “Fiona Hill and Owen Jones! The United Kingdom’s emerging journalism duo!”

“Karen Gillan and Richard Madden!” Fiona told Richard in response, “The United Kingdom’s emerging power couple in the acting industry!”

“It’s nice to see you both today!” Karen told Fiona and Owen, “You know, you two are our favorite journalists, after all.”

Fiona and Owen had interviewed Karen Gillan and Richard Madden on the set of a movie that Karen directed and Richard acted on a few months back, as part of an article they are doing on British Independent Films. Among all the journalists that have interviewed them both, it was Fiona and Owen that Karen and Richard liked the most.

“Are you two here to try out the desserts?” Owen asked Karen and Richard, “You know, this Rhubarb pie is so delicious!” he added, pointing out to the slice of Rhubarb pie on his plate.

“Owen and I would highly recommend it!” Fiona told Karen and Richard

“Richard and I are going to give that a try.” Karen told Owen.

Then, Karen and Richard got their own slices of the Rhubarb pie from the dessert buffet, making Fiona and Owen happy that they have convinced more people to try one of the best offerings from the dessert buffet.

* * *

“I don’t really do royal weddings,” Katrín Jakobsdóttir, the Prime Minister of Iceland said, “But this royal wedding is actually worth attending.”

“I agree with Katrín.” Gunnar Sigvaldason, the husband of Katrín said.

“Prime Minister, please extend our regards to Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York.” Katrín told Theresa, “Tell them that we greatly appreciate being invited to this wedding.”

“I’ll be glad to extend your regards to them.” Theresa told Katrín.

As the Mays were having some desserts, the Prime Minister of Iceland and her husband decided to drop by their table and now, they are having a chat.

“Is everything in Iceland made out of ice?” Hilda asked Katrín, which caused the Prime Minister of Iceland to giggle at the young girl’s question.

“While my country is called Iceland,” Katrín explained, “Not everything is made out of ice there.”

“No hard feelings though.” Gunnar said, “We do get that “Is everything in Iceland made out of ice?” question a lot when we travel overseas, usually from children who have heard of the country’s name for the first time.”

“We have a lot of nice sights back in Iceland,” Katrín told Hilda, “Like the Northern Lights, which are colourful lights that show up on our skies at night during the Winter season. We’ve got nice mountains too.”

Hilda listened in awe at what Katrín was telling her, especially the bit about the Northern Lights.

“Mummy, Daddy, can we go to Iceland soon?” Hilda asked, looking up to her mother and her father.

Theresa and Philip looked at Katrín and Gunnar, and the two ended up nodding in approval to them, as if to tell them that they and their daughter should definitely visit Iceland soon.

“Why not?” Theresa asked, “We should definitely visit Iceland soon.”

“I agree.” Philip told Theresa.

Then, for the rest of the wedding reception, the Mays and the Prime Minister of Iceland and her husband had a fun and hearty conversation. This day had been amazing, starting with Hilda doing well in her first time as a flower girl, the wedding ceremony going well, and now, the wedding reception being fun.


	64. Marshmallows and Kittens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Theresa and Philip spend some time together over snacks at the Prime Minister's Office, Hilda goes on an afternoon out with Fiona and Owen where they come across some kittens.

Philip made his way into the Prime Minister’s Office in 10 Downing Street to deliver a bowl of sugar-free marshmallows for his wife. She had been craving for them all of a sudden as he was about to leave his office, which explains why he had to pass by Waitrose before heading back home.

“Are those my marshmallows?” Theresa asked as she continued to go over the documents in her red box.

“Yes, these are what you’ve asked for,” Philip told her in a cheerful tone, “A bowl of sugar-free marshmallows!”

Philip then set the bowl down on the Prime Minister’s desk, and immediately, Theresa started eating some marshmallows as she continued with her work.

“How was work?” Philip asked her, starting up a conversation.

“I think the question you’re supposed to ask is “ _How is work?”_ as you can see, I am still working.” Theresa told Philip as she looked at him with a smile.

“So how is work, then?” Philip said, giggling at the realization that he’s made a grammatical mistake in asking his wife how her work is going.

“Well, I’m going through these papers that my cabinet ministers have given me throughout the day.” Theresa explained, “Margot James has just sent me her detailed plan on how the United Kingdom will win the bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics. She _is_ serious about getting the United Kingdom to host its first Winter Olympics.”

“And how are our babies?” Philip asked, referring to Olivia and Oliver.

“They’re as active as ever.” Theresa said with a smile, recalling that both Olivia and Oliver had been kicking while she was holding a meeting with Yvette Cooper earlier that day.

“And it seems they’re starting to develop a liking for marshmallows now.” Philip remarked, referring to the fact that Theresa had started to crave for marshmallows.

“Well, they’ve acquired our love for marshmallows.” Theresa told him. She and her husband both have marshmallows as one of their favourite snack items, after all.

"Speaking of which," Philip said, "Mind if I have some of your marshmallows?" he asked.

"Sure you can." Theresa told him in response, "But make sure that there's enough for us and for the babies."

Theresa and Philip then continued to talk about how their day went while having some marshmallows as Theresa continued to go over the documents in her red box.

* * *

Fiona Hill and Owen Jones had already started dating after they both admitted their feelings for each other on Valentine’s Day. They had just had their first date at a fair trade coffee shop near Islington and after that, they decided to drop by 10 Downing Street to visit the Prime Minister (which was mainly Fiona’s suggestion) where the Prime Minister asked them to babysit Hilda for the afternoon.

As Fiona and Owen walked along Westminster with Hilda, they passed by a pet shop. A litter of Scottish Straight kittens caught Fiona’s eye as she, Owen and Hilda looked at the display window of the shop. Fiona had always wanted her own Scottish Straight.

“Why don’t you come inside and take a look?” The shopkeeper said, calling the attention of the three.

In response, Fiona, Owen and Hilda made their way into the pet shop where the shopkeeper guided them to the box where the Scottish Straight kittens were situated.

“Is there a particular kitten that you want, miss?” The shopkeeper asked Fiona, who was already looking intently at the kittens.

“The Scottish Fold kitten with the cinnamon coloured fur.” Fiona said, pointing out to the Scottish Straight kitten that had a cinnamon coloured fur.

“She’s a runt.” The shopkeeper said, “I try not to sell the runts, but if you really want it, I can give it to you for free. However, if something goes wrong with the kitten, don’t blame me for it. I’ve warned you that it’s a runt.”

“Look, all that kitten needs is some tender loving care.” Owen told the shopkeeper.

“All it needs is a loving home,” Fiona added, “So I’d like to have it.”

“And while we’re on it, I might as well give you the white kitten.” The shopkeeper said, pointing out to the white kitten among the litter, “She’s a runt as well.”

“That’s fine for me.” Fiona told the shopkeeper, “That one needs a loving home too!”

“Very well, then.” The shopkeeper said, reaching into the box to pick up the cinnamon coloured kitten and the white kitten.

The shopkeeper then handed the two kittens over to Fiona, then told her, “I hope you’ll take good care of them, especially because they’re runts.”

“You have my word.” Fiona said in response.

* * *

Fiona, Owen, and Hilda returned to 10 Downing Street along with the two kittens. Now, they were at the Prime Minister’s Office where Hilda is asking Fiona if she could have the white kitten.

“I’d love to give you the white kitten, Hilda.” Fiona told her, “But we’d have to ask your mummy and daddy first. After all, you already have Larry here.”

“Mummy, Daddy,” Hilda said, looking at both of her parents, “Can I please keep the white kitten? It needs a home and Aunt Fiona already has her own kitten.”

Theresa and Philip looked at each other briefly, deciding whether having another feline with them is a good idea, considering the fact that there’s already Larry (although the cat is not a family pet, but the Chief Mouser of 10 Downing Street).

“Well, Larry isn’t really ours to begin with,” Philip told Theresa, “The civil servants are the ones who are in charge of taking care of him, although we let him stay with us and even feed him sometimes.”

“I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t have another cat.” Theresa told Philip, “After all, Scottish Straights have a good temperament so Hilda shouldn’t have a hard time taking care of the cat. She’s even able to take care of Larry and you know Larry is far more feisty than a Scottish Straight.”

“So can I have the white kitten?” Hilda asked her parents.

“Your daddy and I have decided that you can have the white kitten.” Theresa told Hilda, much to Hilda’s joy.

“Thank you mummy and daddy!” Hilda said, running towards both of her parents and hugging them, “I love you two!”

“You’re welcome, and we love you too, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison as they hugged her back.

After Hilda and her parents hugged, Fiona then asked Hilda, “So what would you like to name the kitten?”

Hilda paused for a while, then looked at her mother’s desk, where a bowl that still had some marshmallows with it was on.

Then she said, “I want to name the kitten Marshmallow!”

“Why do you want to call it Marhsmallow?” Fiona asked, curious about Hilda’s choice of name for the kitten.

“Because she’s soft and fluffy, like a Marshmallow!” Hilda responded, resulting to everyone in the room giggling.

“How adorable!” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

Then, Marshmallow purred in approval to what Theresa, Philip and Hilda have said about her. Marshmallow had finally found a new family in the Mays, and the Mays are happy to accept her into their growing family.


	65. A Saturday of Fun and Excitement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mays are met with good news on a Saturday when Theresa has one of her pre-natal appointments, followed by them watching the sequel of one of Hilda's favorite movies at home.

_February 29, 2020 – St. Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead_

Theresa and Philip May were at the St. Mark’s Hospital for one of Theresa’s pre-natal appointments. As with the last few appointments, Hilda was also there with them. More good news awaited the Mays as Dr. Campbell explained the findings from Theresa’s recent appointment.

“We’ve done the ultrasound and so far, both babies are in good shape.” Dr. Campbell explained, “We’ve also heard their heartbeats and so far, it is strong and stable.”

Theresa and Philip could not help but smile at what Dr. Campbell was telling them. Olivia and Oliver were thriving very well, six months into the pregnancy. The chances of the two making it to their birth is getting much higher, especially as both Theresa and Philip had already made the proper arrangements for their parental leaves in preparation for the twins’ birth.

“I hope you’ve continued to lead a healthy lifestyle, Mrs. May.” Dr. Campbell told Theresa, “Especially now that you’ve only got three months to go before giving birth.”

“You do not need to worry, Dr. Campbell,” Theresa reassured her, “I have been eating healthy and getting enough rest, as well as an appropriate amount of exercise.”

“As what I’ve always said before, Mr. May, do continue helping your wife around when she needs assistance,” Dr. Campbell instructed Philip.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m always ready to help her when she needs help.” Philip said with a smile, recounting the numerous times he had to rush to Waitrose or the trips that he and the entire family took to restaurants they’ve never been before whenever Theresa craved for something that wasn’t in the pantry, or the times when she’d ask him for a foot rub after a long day at work.

“And as for you Hilda,” Dr. Campbell said, “I hope you’ve been helpful to your mummy and daddy, too.”

“I’m helpful to mummy and daddy.” Hilda told her, recounting those times when she’d help her father in serving food to her mother, and keeping an eye out on Larry, Chloe and Marshmallow, ensuring that they don’t make a mess out of the living room in 10 Downing Street, and as well as keeping an eye out of Chloe and Marshmallow whenever they’re in the living room of the constituency house in Maidenhead.

“Very well then, I hope to see you next month.” Dr. Campbell told Theresa, “And again, if there are any concerns about your pregnancy, I am just a call away.”

Theresa then proceeded to thank Dr. Campbell for her time, and then after exchanging goodbyes, the Mays left the hospital and headed towards their next destination for the day.

* * *

The Mays were now at the living room of their home, where they watched the sequel to Disney’s Frozen on Netflix, thanks to Hilda asking her parents if they could do it. After all, when the movie first came out the previous year, Hilda was so excited about it that she managed to get her parents to bring her to the cinema as soon as the movie was shown in the United Kingdom.

As the family watched the movie, Marshmallow, who had been a part of the May household since the last week, started to climb up the sofa. When she successfully did, she made her way towards Theresa and then positioned herself on top of her belly.

“Hello there, Marshmallow!” Theresa said, noticing the kitten that was now on top of her belly, “I see that you want to sit close to your human siblings.”

“Their names are Olivia and Oliver.” Philip proceeded to tell the kitten, upon noticing her presence, “And they can’t wait to see you soon.”

Marshmallow purred at Theresa’s belly in response. After which, Theresa felt not one, but two kicks!

“Well, looks like Olivia and Oliver acknowledge Marshmallow’s presence too.” Theresa remarked.

“Look mummy, look daddy!” Hilda said, pointing out at the screen as the most exciting scene of the movie came up, “Elsa’s going to defeat the bad guys!”

Theresa and Philip brought their attention back to the movie, joining their daughter as she watched Elsa battle it out with the antagonists of the movie. Marshmallow, although she is just a cat, looked at the screen of the television as well, as if intently watching the movie like the humans who are with her are doing.

“Go Elsa!” Hilda cheered on as the fight scene progressed.

After the exchange of blows of ice between Elsa and the antagonists, Elsa emerged the victor of the battle, much to the delight of Hilda, who is very happy about it just as much as she was when she first saw the movie.

“See that mummy and daddy?” Hilda told her parents, “Elsa won! She won!”

“That’s right, she won!” Philip gamely said.

“Nobody messes with Queen Elsa of Arendelle!” Theresa spoke with conviction.

“Hooray!” Hilda cheered.

As they continued watching the movie, Theresa could not help but think that if the Frozen franchise had a TV series, or a third movie, she could imagine Hilda being joined by Olivia and Oliver in cheering on for the Queen of Arendelle and her allies. Philip on the other hand, could not help but imagine Hilda, as well as Olivia and Oliver cheering on him to sing “Let It Go” from the first Frozen movie.

“I hope Olivia and Oliver like this movie as much as I do, mummy.” Hilda said as she put her palm on top of her mother’s belly.

“I’m sure they will.” Theresa said with a smile.

“I agree with your mummy.” Philip said, with a smile as well.

All is well with the Mays as they spent their Saturday with good news and a good movie. The next few months were going to be much exciting for them, as the birth of the new additions to their family draws closer, and they are definitely looking forward to it.


	66. Searching for Marshmallow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda finds out that Marshmallow has gone missing from the flat in 10 Downing Street. With the help of her parents and some cabinet ministers, she searches for the missing Scottish Straight kitten.

“Marshmallow!” Hilda called out as she walked around the living room at 10 Downing Street, “Marshmallow, where are you?”

Hilda was looking for her kitten, a white Scottish straight. The kitten had been living with them for more than a week, and she has already started to familiarize herself with her surroundings, which might explain why she’d wander off to different parts of the Prime Minister’s flat in Number 10.

Hilda continued to look around for the kitten, and when she realized that the kitten was nowhere to be found, she went to her father who was waiting for the chocolate chip cookies to bake in the kitchen’s oven.

“Daddy, have you seen Marshmallow?” Hilda asked, hoping to get a positive answer from her father.

“I haven’t seen Marshmallow around.” Philip answered, “Did you try to look for her already?”

‘Yes, I did.” Hilda said, “I looked for her in the living room, and she’s not there.” She added, pouting.

Just then, the timer on the oven rang, signifying that the chocolate chip cookies had finished baking.

“I’ll help you look for Marshmallow.” Philip told Hilda, “But first, I’m going to have to store the cookies.”

“Okay daddy.” Hilda said with a smile. She was very excited to be reunited with Marshmallow, after all.

Philip then put on the oven mittens and carefully opened the oven. Smoke that smelled of freshly baked cookies emerged from the oven once he opened it. Then, he pulled out the tray which contained the baked chocolate chip cookies and put it on top of the counter so that it could cool down. He waited for a few more moments.

Once the cookies were already cool enough to be transferred, Philip transferred them into the cookie jar.

Then, he was now ready to help Hilda find Marshmallow.

* * *

“Does anyone else want to raise anything before we end this meeting?” Theresa asked, looking at her cabinet members who seemed to be content with bringing up whatever they have brought up earlier at the meeting.

There was nothing but silence.

Then Margot James spoke, saying, “Nothing ma’am.”

“Very well then,” Theresa said, “Meeting adjourned.”

As the cabinet members started to file out of the cabinet room, the door to the room suddenly burst open. Hilda and Philip entered the office, with the former running straight to her mother.

“What brings you here, sweetie?” Theresa asked her daughter.

“Mummy, we can’t find Marshmallow.” Hilda told her mother.

“Who’s Marshmallow?” Michael Gove asked.

“Marshmallow is my pet kitten.” Hilda told Michael.

“You’ve got a kitten?” Michael now proceeded to ask Theresa and Philip.

“Well, yes we do. We just adopted her more than a week ago.” Philip told Michael.

“Your daddy and I will help you find Marshmallow.” Theresa told Hilda, much to the young girl’s joy.

“Count me in!” Penny Mordaunt piped up.

“Of course, Penny has to join the search party.” Andrea Leadsom commented, “She loves cats!”

“Andrea, I’ve dealt with cats seemingly disappearing many times.” Penny told Andrea, “Trust me, I’ll get the job done this time, just like I always do!”

“Count me in as well!” Amber Rudd spoke.

“Can we find my kitten now?” Hilda asked Amber and Penny.

“Sure, let’s look for your kitten.” Penny told Hilda.

“Can we join?” Andrea and Michael asked.

“Sure, why not?” Theresa told them both.

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now looking for Marshmallow with Penny Mordaunt, Amber Rudd, Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom in tow. Moments later, they were joined by Sajid Javid and Margot James, who have decided at the last minute that they should join in looking for the Scottish white kitten of the Prime Minister’s daughter.

“Nope, no sign of Marshmallow here.” Amber said as she emerged from one of the offices in 10 Downing Street.

“Is that Marshmallow?” Michael asked, pointing out to a fluffy white thing on the ground.

“That’s not Marshmallow,” Penny told Michael, “That’s a rug!”

“Sorry about that.” One of the staffers from the office that owned the rug said, moving the rug out of the way afterwards.

Then, they heard barking noises from across the hall.

“Should I go check on that?” Michael asked.

“I think you should.” Theresa said.

As Michael ran across the hall, Philip told Theresa, “I think that must be Chloe.”

“And she must have found Marshmallow before we did.” Theresa added.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Penny asked the Prime Minister and her husband, “We should follow Michael.”

Theresa and Philip nodded in agreement and followed Penny, who ran across the hall. Hilda, Amber, Sajid, Andrea and Margot followed them as well.

* * *

Theresa, Philip, Hilda, Penny, Amber, Sajid, Andrea and Margot were met by the sight of Michael trying to convince Chloe, the Chocolate Labrador of the Mays, to back off from a drawer.

“Please be a good dog and leave Marshmallow alone!” Michael begged as Chloe continued to bark at the drawer.

“Michael, is everything alright?” Penny asked Michael.

“Not quite.” Michael said, “When I got here, Marshmallow was being chased by Chloe. Now Marshmallow’s under the drawer. She seems pretty afraid of Chloe because she isn’t coming out of where she’s hiding.”

“Well then, let the expert handle this.” Penny told him.

“But you don’t even own dogs!” Margot said, “How are you supposed to lure that kitten out of there when there’s a dog that’s trying to go after her?” she added, referring to where Marshmallow hid, which was under the drawer.

“I can lure Marshmallow out safely.” Penny told Margot, “My cats have gotten into this before, though it wasn’t a dog chasing them into a tight space, but rather, their fellow cats.”

“What about Chloe?” Sajid asked.

“Make sure she doesn’t go any closer to the drawer.” Penny directed him.

Sajid did as told and blocked Chloe’s way to the drawer without having any contact with her.

“Come on Aunt Penny, get my kitty!” Hilda cheered as Penny reached out for the kitten that hid under the drawer.

“Come on Marshmallow, it’s safe for you to come out now.” Penny said in the most adorable voice ever as she reached her hand out to the kitten that hid under the drawer.

A few moments later and soft purring was heard. Marshmallow had responded to Penny and she crawled her way out of where she hid, going straight into Penny’s hand. Penny carefully took ahold of Marshmallow and carried her to Hilda, who patiently waited for her kitten to be retrieved.

“Here you go, Hilda.” Penny said with a smile as she handed Marshmallow over to her.

“Marshmallow!” Hilda said, hugging the kitten afterwards.

Marshmallow purred back in joy, as she is now reunited with her human.

“Don’t you ever run off like that again!” Hilda told the kitten out of concern.

Then, Hilda walked towards Chloe and said in a Mary Poppins-like tone, “And you Chloe, stop being mean to Marshmallow.”

The Chocolate Labrador rumbled in remorse.

“I hope you two would get along next time.” Hilda told her Scottish straight kitten and her Chocolate Labrador.

-

“Would you believe that? Our kitten and our dog got into so much mischief that the cabinet had to be involved.” Philip said with a laugh.

“More like six of our cabinet members.” Theresa said with a laugh, reminding him that only six of her cabinet members got involved in searching for Marshmallow.

“Would you like some cookies?” Philip said as he passed the cookie jar over to his wife, “This one’s sugar free chocolate chip cookies, of course. I made them for us.”

“Thank you, love.” Theresa said as she picked a cookie out of the cookie jar.

“Can I have a cookie? Please?” Hilda asked her mother and her father.

“Sure sweetie.” Theresa told Hilda, “Here you go.” She added as she gave Hilda a cookie.

Hilda then proceeded to munch on her cookie.

Then, Philip got himself a cookie as well and started eating it.

“I think we should work on ensuring that Chloe and Marshmallow get along better.” Theresa suggested.

“I agree.” Philip told Theresa.

“After all, Olivia and Oliver will be here in a few months, and Chloe and Marshmallow being able to get along better would make it easier for us to take care of the twins and introduce them to our pets.” Theresa spoke, “We’ve done the same with Larry and Palmerston before we took Hilda home and them being able to get along better also made it easier for us to introduce Hilda to them.”

“That’s right.” Philip said in agreement, “When we brought Hilda home, we didn’t have a hard time introducing the cats to her because they already got along very well.”

“Mummy, Daddy, will Chloe and Marshmallow get along like Larry and Palmerston?” Hilda asked her parents.

“I’m sure they will.” Theresa told Hilda.

“I agree with your mum.” Philip added.

The Mays are up for another quest, which is to make sure that Chloe and Marshmallow are able to get along better. Although having them get along better is a bit different from getting Larry and Palmerston, who are both cats, to get along better, they are confident that they will be able to get the job done just in time for the arrival of the new members of their family.


	67. Piano Keys and Melodies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip discover that Hilda is developing a new hobby after she starts playing with the piano at home that was handed down to them by Theresa's parents.

Hilda had been tinkering with the piano in the living room of their home in Maidenhead. The piano had once been owned by Theresa’s parents, and is now in the possession of Theresa and Philip. Though the piano has been out of tune from years of not being maintained constantly, Hilda did not mind for she was amused with the fact that a wooden thing with white keys could make sounds when one presses the keys.

“She seems to have gotten mum’s penchant for playing the piano.” Theresa said as she observed Hilda press random keys of the piano.

“Do you think we should enroll her for piano lessons?” Philip asked, wondering if Hilda’s tinkering of the piano could mean that she’d want to learn how to play the piano.

“Well, three years old seems old enough for a child to start learning how to play the piano.” Theresa told her husband, noting the fact that both of them have a godchild who started playing the piano at the same age as Hilda.

“Do you have anyone in mind who could give her piano lessons?” Philip asked.

“Mrs. Wilson from the street next to ours gives piano lessons to the children in our neighborhood.” Theresa said, recalling that one of her constituents has been giving piano lessons ever since she retired from working for a newspaper, “She seems really good at teaching children how to play the piano. I’m sure she’d make a good piano teacher for Hilda.”

Then, as Hilda kept tinkering with the piano, Theresa and Philip walked to her. Theresa sat next to Hilda on the chair that comes with the piano while Philip remained standing close to her.

“Hilda sweetie.” Theresa said, getting Hilda’s attention.

“Yes mummy?” Hilda said, soon after she stopped tinkering with the piano.

“Your daddy and I have been thinking,” Theresa went on, “That we should enroll you for piano lessons.”

“Does that mean you and daddy will teach me how to play the piano?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Well, sweetie,” Theresa said, “Your daddy and I don’t know how to play the piano, so we wouldn’t be able to teach you.”

“But Mrs. Wilson from the street next to ours would be more than happy to teach you how to play the piano.” Philip added.

“Mrs. Wilson? The old lady who has many kitties and a piano like ours?” Hilda asked her mother and father. She had known who Mrs. Wilson is from joining her mum whenever she went canvassing in their neighborhood.

“Yes, that Mrs. Wilson.” Theresa told her.

Hilda’s eyes lit up in excitement. She always looked forward to making visits to Mrs. Wilson’s home – which was mostly during those times when her mum went canvassing.

“We’re going to go to Mrs. Wilson’s later.” Theresa told Hilda, “So that we can ask her if she can give you some piano lessons.”

“Are you fine with that, sweetie?” Philip asked Hilda.

“Of course!” Hilda said in excitement.

Then, Hilda stood up from the chair that came with the piano and her mother followed. Then, they transferred to the couch along with Philip. As soon as that happened, Marshmallow started strutting over the piano keys while Chloe started pressing the keys with her paws.

“Well, looks like Marshmallow and Chloe enjoy playing the piano as well.” Philip said with a giggle.

Then, Theresa and Hilda giggled with him.

* * *

“We’ve been thinking of enrolling Hilda for piano lessons.” Theresa explained to Mrs. Wilson, “And Philip and I know that you are very good with teaching people, especially children, how to play the piano.”

“Well, I’d be glad to teach Hilda how to play the piano!” Mrs. Wilson told Theresa.

As Mrs. Wilson and Theresa talked, Hilda was occupied with playing with the cats in Mrs. Wilson’s home. Mrs. Wilson had various cats – she had Tabbies, Burmese cats, Scottish Straights and British Longhairs. All in all, she had eight cats.

“You’re so adorable!” Hilda told a white Scottish Straight cat, “You look just like Marshmallow, but bigger.”

The cat purred in approval at what Hilda said.

“Hilda!” Theresa said, calling Hilda’s attention.

“Yes mummy?” Hilda asked.

“Mrs. Wilson would like to ask you something.” Theresa told her.

“Okay mummy.” Hilda said, putting down the white Scottish Straight cat afterwards.

Then, Hilda walked towards Mrs. Wilson, who offered her to sit on chair next to hers. Hilda gladly accepted the offer and then took her seat.

“Hilda, your parents have told me that they’d like for me to be your piano teacher.” Mrs. Wilson explained, “Now, I would like to ask you if you’d like to take piano lessons with me?”

“Of course, I’d love to!” Hilda said in response.

“Well then, Hilda is officially my student now.” Mrs. Wilson announced, much to the joy of everyone in the living room of her home.

Then, Mrs. Wilson continued, asking Hilda “Would you prefer that we have the piano lessons here or at your home?”

Hilda looked at her parents for an answer.

“Well, as for me, I’d be fine if she’d have the lessons at our home.” Theresa said, “Except that our piano is out of tune so if Hilda chooses to have the piano lessons at our home, you’d have to wait for a while because we’d need to find someone who could tune the piano.”

“I happen to know how to tune a piano.” Mrs. Wilson said, “So I can come over to your home the day before Hilda has her first lesson to tune your piano. Free of charge, of course!”

“So can I have the piano lessons at home, mummy and daddy?” Hilda asked her parents.

“Sure sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

“And when would you like to start?” Mrs. Wilson asked.

“Next week!” Hilda said with excitement.

“Alright then, your first piano lessons will be on the Saturday after this.” Mrs. Wilson told Hilda, “And on Friday, I’ll come over to tune the piano.”

“Friday would be the perfect day for you to tune our piano.” Theresa told Mrs. Wilson, “We’d be home from Westminster by then.”

“Alright then,” Mrs. Wilson said, “Everything’s all set!”

* * *

Back at home in Maidenhead, Hilda was tinkering with the piano again, right after her parents cleaned the keys up as a result of Chloe and Marshmallow putting their paws on the keys earlier on. As Hilda tinkered on, Theresa could not help but remember doing the same as Hilda is doing when she was a child.

“You know, mum would have been really happy to see this.” Theresa told her husband.

“She surely would be.” Philip told her in response.

“She’d be happy to have a granddaughter who’d love to learn how to play the piano.” Theresa said.

“If she were here, she would have already given Hilda piano lessons the moment she’d see her tinker the piano.” Philip spoke.

“She’d totally do that.” Theresa said, “In fact, when I was tinkering with the piano as a child, mummy offered to teach me how to play the piano. I turned down the offer but if I could have changed how I decided then, I would have accepted the offer.” She added, pouting a bit afterwards.

“On my part, I’ve never had even the slightest chance to learn how to play the piano.” Philip said, “Or let alone try playing with a piano.” He added with a pout as well. Then, he chuckled afterwards.

Theresa chuckled along with him as well.

“I’m sure your mum is still proud of you.” Philip reassured her.

“I’m sure she is.” Theresa responded, “Especially because we’ve been really good at raising Hilda despite the fact that we’ve both got jobs that can get demanding at times.”

“Mummy, Daddy, this is fun!” Hilda said as she continued to press random keys of the piano.

“It sure is!” Theresa and Philip said in response, acknowledging the fact that their daughter has found joy in playing the piano that they have at home.

Then, Theresa and Philip looked at each other and then Theresa said, “You know what, mum was still alive the last time that piano was used.” And then she added, “And we never thought the piano would be used again since then, but we were wrong. Mum’s love for the piano has still lived on after all, and it has been passed on to Hilda.”

Theresa and Philip then looked happily at Hilda. They were glad that after so many years, the piano at home is no longer going to gather dust (figuratively of course, because despite the fact that the piano has never been used for so many years, Theresa and Philip still make it a point to clean up the piano).

After so many years, the melody of the decades old piano has been heard once more, in the home of the family of its former owners’ daughter in Maidenhead.


	68. First Piano Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda has her first piano lessons with Mrs. Wilson, a piano teacher who is also a neighbour of the Mays.

Hilda is having her first day of piano lessons on a Saturday afternoon. The previous day, Mrs. Wilson had tuned the piano after the Mays had returned from Westminster. While the Mays would be staying in Maidenhead most of the time (with a few trips to London if needed) when Theresa and Philip’s respective parental leaves start, Hilda would still have her piano lessons on Saturdays.

Things were pleasant as Hilda started her piano lessons with Mrs. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson decided to start by familiarizing her with reading notes from a sheet. After all, reading notes off a music sheet is a very important skill to learn for one to become skilled at playing the piano.

“That’s the treble clef.” Mrs. Wilson explained, pointing out the treble clef on a sample music sheet for a song that is to be played on a piano, “That’s the staff that shows you which notes to play with your right hand.”

Hilda nodded along as Mrs. Wilson introduced her to the parts of the music sheet.

Mrs. Wilson pointed at the treble clef again, then asked Hilda, “What do you call this one again?”

“A treble clef.” Hilda said.

“Good.” Mrs. Wilson said, “Now, let’s move on to the next part.”

Then, Mrs. Wilson started to point at one of the lines of the sheet music and told Hilda, “There are five lines and four spaces in a sheet. Each note goes on a certain line or space.”

Hilda listened attentively, as she always did, as Mrs. Wilson continued to explain.

“And each line and space has a letter that corresponds to it.” Mrs. Wilson said, “The four spaces have the letter names of F, A, C, and E and the five lines have the letter names of E, G, B, D and F. All you have to remember for the letter names of the spaces is “Face” and for the letter names of the lines, the phrase “Every Good Boy Does Fine.” Is that understood?”

“Yes.” Hilda said.

“Now, what are the letter names of the spaces?” Mrs. Wilson asked.

“F-A-C-E.” Hilda answered.

“And for the lines?” Mrs. Wilson asked once again.

“E-G-B-D-F.” Hilda answered once again.

“Very good!” Mrs. Wilson said in an impressed tone.

Theresa and Philip watched as their daughter had her first piano lessons. They had asked Mrs. Wilson and Hilda earlier on if they could watch the piano lessons, and the two were happy to let them.

“You know, this reminds me a lot of the music lessons we had at primary school.” Theresa told Philip.

“You do come from a small primary school, right?” Philip asked, recalling that his wife was a product of a small primary school, “And yet they managed to be able to teach music lessons?”

“Well, we had this one music teacher who taught us how to read notes.” Theresa told her husband, “But beyond that, we didn’t get to play any instruments.”

“The same pretty much happened to me back in primary school as well.” Philip told Theresa, “We got to read notes too, but we didn’t get to play any musical instruments.”

From learning how to read notes, Hilda’s piano lessons have now progressed to piano exercises. Mrs. Wilson, as well as Theresa and Philip, watched in awe as the young girl slowly got the hang of playing the piano.

“Okay Hilda, play the Do Re Mi once again.” Mrs. Wilson instructed Hilda.

Then, Hilda repeated the piano exercise that Mrs. Wilson had been asking her to do for four consecutive times already.

When Hilda finished one round, Mrs. Wilson then told her, “Now, do it again with both hands.”

Then, Hilda positioned her left hand on the keyboard and adjusted her right hand so that she can proceed with the next step of the piano exercise that she is currently doing.

“Is this okay?” Hilda asked.

“Perfect!” Mrs. Wilson said, “Now, proceed.”

Hilda proceeded to play the Do Re Mi once again on the piano, now with both hands. After a few more rounds, she was already able to start doing the piano exercise smoothly – much to the delight of both her parents and of Mrs. Wilson.

As Hilda went on with the piano exercise, Theresa felt the twins kick again. Then she told Philip, “Love, the twins seem to be enjoying this too.”

“I guess you could say they have developed a love for music.” Philip remarked.

“They sure have.” Theresa said as she put her palm on her belly, “Isn’t that right Olivia and Oliver?”

And then Theresa felt another kick.

“Do you think the twins would grow up wanting to play the piano too?” Philip asked Theresa.

“I’m sure they would.” Theresa said with a smile.

Then, Theresa and Philip continued to listen to Hilda playing the piano. It was such a wonderful sight to behold – Hilda playing the piano with such grace for a beginner.

* * *

“For a first timer, Hilda is doing pretty well.” Mrs. Wilson said. She is now giving her feedback on Hilda’s first day of piano lessons to Theresa and Philip.

“Philip and I have noticed that as well.” Theresa told Mrs. Wilson.

“My advice for you both is to make sure that Hilda practices playing the piano regularly.” Mrs. Wilson told Theresa and Philip, “And make sure that she practices with reading notes off a music sheet as well. That skill is just as important as the piano exercises.”

“We’ll make sure of that.” Theresa told Mrs. Wilson.

“Very well then,” Mrs. Wilson told Theresa and Philip, “I’ll be back again next week for Hilda’s lessons.”

“I’m so excited!” Hilda told Mrs. Wilson.

“I’m excited for it as well.” Mrs. Wilson told Hilda in response.

“Goodbye Mrs. Wilson.” Theresa and Philip said to Mrs. Wilson in unison as they waved her goodbye, “We’ll see you next week!”

“Goodbye Mrs. Wilson.” Hilda told Mrs. Wilson in unison as she waved her goodbye, as well, “See you next week!”

“Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. May,” Mrs. Wilson told Theresa and Philip, waving back at them, then she turned to Hilda and said as she waved back to her, “Goodbye Hilda.”

Hilda’s first day of piano lessons went well and Theresa and Philip were happy to know that Hilda does in fact, have the inclination towards playing the piano. With that, the Mays are definitely looking forward to Hilda’s next piano lessons.

 


	69. Meeting the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda gets to meet the Queen for the first time when she and her father accompany her mother to the Buckingham Palace for her weekly audience with Her Majesty.

_March 11, 2020 - Buckingham Palace_

It was the Wednesday before the last session of Parliament prior to the Easter Break. Theresa May is currently having her Weekly Audience with the Queen. Prior to that, she had Prime Minister’s Questions and a cabinet meeting.

“One would like to recognize the efforts you put towards your work as Prime Minister, even now when you are already into the third trimester of your pregnancy.” The Queen told Theresa.

“I may already be in the third trimester of my pregnancy,” Theresa told the Queen, “But until my maternity leave starts, I shall continue my duties to your government and to the British people.”

“One is glad to know that one’s current Prime Minister is dedicated to the duties accorded to her.” The Queen went on to say, “Just as one continued working while pregnant until it was time for me to take my maternity leave, that was while one was pregnant with my youngest sons.” She added, referring to Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, her sons who were born during her reign as Queen.

“I am after all, a woman who believes in fulfilling one’s duty to make lives better in this nation.” Theresa told the Queen, “That is something that my parents have instilled in me, and something that I have, by choice, brought along with me until this very day.”

“One will be more than happy to give you any assistance you and your family may need regarding the new additions to your family.” The Queen said, “Especially because among the Prime Ministers I’ve had, you are among the ones I have established a close rapport with.”

“Your Majesty,” Theresa started, “I am grateful for your offer to give assistance to my family and I, should we need it, as we enter this new chapter in our lives.”

Then, the Queen reached her hands out to Theresa and squeezed it softly, telling her, “As Queen, it is my duty to look out for my subjects. Giving you any assistance you need as you and your family welcome the new additions to your family is one of them.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Theresa told the Queen.

Then, the Prime Minister and the Queen stood up and made their way out of the Queen’s office. Outside the Queen’s office, in the receiving area, Theresa’s husband and daughter had been waiting. Theresa decided to accompany them with her to Buckingham Palace on this particular day.

“Mr. May,” the Queen said, acknowledging Theresa’s husband, “Hilda,” she added, acknowledging Theresa’s daughter.

“Your Majesty.” Philip said as he curtseyed to the Queen.

“Your Majesty.” Hilda said, following her father who also curtseyed to the Queen.

“One hopes you two weren’t kept waiting for so long.” The Queen told Philip and Hilda.

“We haven’t been waiting for so long, Your Majesty.” Philip assured the Queen, “And we understand that you and Theresa need all the time to discuss some important matters.”

“One is glad to hear of that.” The Queen told Philip, “Now, Hilda, you’re going to be a big sister now, right?” she added, turning towards Hilda.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Hilda said with a smile, “I’m going to be a big sister.”

“One is glad for your mother, as well as your father and you.” The Queen told Hilda, “A growing family is something to be happy about.”

“Did you also get pregnant like mummy?” Hilda asked the Queen as Theresa and Philip were taken a bit aback by their daughter asking such question to Her Majesty, the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Noticing Theresa and Philip’s slight reactions to Hilda’s question, the Queen giggled a bit, then went on to answer Hilda’s question, “Oh yes, one did. Not just one but four times!”

“Did you eat a lot while being pregnant?” Hilda asked the Queen once more. This time, Theresa and Philip kept a poker face because it is after all, very unfitting for them to giggle at the Queen when their own daughter is asking her questions.

“One did eat a lot.” The Queen explained, “And one does so in order to keep the baby healthy as it grows in one’s tummy.”

“Just like what mummy does!” Hilda remarked, being at awe at how the Queen has a side to her similar to her mother, as well as the grown up women she has interacted with throughout her life. She is in awe because her impression of the Queen was that she had qualities way more higher than those of average people.

“And just like your mother, One both has a job and children too.” The Queen told Hilda with a smile.

Hilda smiled back as well. Then, she asked the Queen, “Your Majesty, did you take a break while being pregnant too?”

“Of course.” The Queen answered, “One took a break to prepare for the birth of her children. It is for one’s well being and the well being of the children as well.”

“Mummy and daddy are doing the same.” Hilda told the Queen.

“In one’s time, it’s only the mother who takes a break.” The Queen told Hilda, “But that was in one’s time. Things are better these days, and with that, both mothers and fathers can now take a break when they’re preparing for the arrival of a child.”

Hilda was in awe as she listened to what the Queen said.

“You and your younger siblings are fortunate.” The Queen continued, “as well as your parents.”

“Thank you, your Majesty.” Hilda told the Queen in response.

Then, Hilda asked the Queen, “Did you have a sister too?”

“I did.” The Queen said, “She is Princess Margaret, and she is younger than I am.”

“You’re an older sister, just like me!” Hilda said. Again, she was at awe with how she shared a similarity with the Queen, just as she shared similarities with some of the friends she made who were the oldest child in their family.

“What is it like being an older sister?” Hilda asked the Queen.

“When you’re an older sister, you look out for your younger siblings. That was what I did with my younger sister” The Queen said, “and I’m sure you’ll be able to handle it, young lass.”

Hilda smiled at the Queen telling her that she would be able to handle being an older sister.

“And I’m sure you’ll enjoy having younger siblings.” The Queen said, “Because I did.” She added with a smile. Despite those times when her younger sister wanted things her way, while she wanted things done her way, the Queen still had a generally good relationship with her younger sister, the late Princess Margaret.

“Where’s your younger sister, though?” Hilda asked, curious about how the Queen’s sister looks like.

“Well, my younger sister is already in heaven.” The Queen explained, “But one has not forgotten her.”

“She’s also where my grandparents are!” Hilda told the Queen, “And mummy and daddy have not forgotten them, that’s why they still tell me stories about them.”

The Queen smiled, then told Hilda, as well as her parents, “One wishes your family all the best on the next chapter of your lives.”

In response, Theresa said, “Your Majesty, thank you for the well wishes and thank you as well for the wise words you have imparted to me, and for taking the time to talk to Hilda.”

“One is more than happy to spend time with you and your family.” The Queen told Theresa, “After all, your family is among the Prime Ministerial families that I have a good rapport with.”

“Goodbye Your Majesty.” Theresa told the Queen, “I will see you next week for our last weekly audience before my husband and I go into our respective parental leaves.”

“Goodbye Mrs. May.” The Queen told Theresa as she bid her farewell, “And goodbye Mr. May and Hilda.” She added, turning towards Philip and Hilda and bidding them farewell as well.

The Mays then left the Buckingham Palace for 10 Downing Street, glad that the afternoon went well for them all and excited for what the coming weeks has to offer for them as the arrival of the new additions to their family draws closer.


	70. Well Wishes and Gratitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa May does her last Prime Minister's Questions before going on a maternity leave, and later, she and her husband, Philip, invite their respective deputies over for dinner as a sign of gratitude for their willingness to temporarily take over their jobs while they are both on their parental leaves.

_March 18, 2020 – House of Commons_

“I would like to wish the Prime Minister all the best as she and her family prepare for the birth of her children.” Luciana Berger, the Member of Parliament for Wavertree said, “The birth of a new child is an occasion of joy for every family, and I’m sure the Prime Minister and her family are looking forward to it.”

It is the last Prime Minister’s Questions for the Prime Minister before she would go on a maternity leave to prepare for the birth of her twins, Olivia and Oliver. For this particular occasion, her husband and her daughter are watching her last PMQs before the maternity leave from the Visitor’s Gallery.

“The Prime Minister.” Eleanor Laing, the Speaker of the House called out.

Theresa May rose up from her seat to deliver her response to Luciana’s remarks, to which, she responded to with, “Thank you to the Honourable Lady for the well wishes. My family and I will surely look forward for the birth of the twins.”

“The Leader of the Opposition.” Eleanor Laing, the Speaker of the House called out.

Jeremy Corbyn rose up from his seat to deliver his first statement for the day’s PMQs. He then proceeded and said, “As with the Member of Parliament for Wavertree, I would also like to wish the Prime Minister all the best as she and her family prepare for the birth of her children.”

Then when Corbyn finished his statement, Eleanor called out once again, “The Prime Minister.”

Theresa rose up from her seat, this time to deliver her response to Corbyn’s remarks. She went on, saying, “Thank you to the Right Honourable Gentleman for the well wishes as well. As my time off Parliament to prepare for the arrival of the new additions to my family will also mean the Right Honourable Gentleman in the opposite benches would also need to take a time off, I suggest that he use such time to bond with his own family – especially as he and Laura have a baby of their own as well.”

With that, all the MPs present burst into laughter, as well as the Speaker of the House, who would normally be as neutral as possible to whatever is being said by whomever is speaking during PMQs. People in the Visitor’s Gallery joined in the laughter as well.

“Daddy, now Uncle Jelly is going to be out of work!” Hilda told her father, giggling softly afterwards.

“I know.” Philip said, giggling softly as well.

“How long is he going to stay out of work?” Hilda asked.

“As long as mummy and daddy are out of work.” Philip responded, referring to the fact that both he and Theresa had mutually decided to take time off work for the same period of time.

“If mummy is taking a break, who’s going to be Prime Minister?” Hilda asked her father.

“Well, the Deputy Prime Minister would be the Acting Prime Minister.” Philip explained, “On the other hand, when the Leader of the Opposition is out, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition would be the Acting Leader of the Opposition.”

“So Aunt Amber’s going to be on the telly next week for PMQs?” Hilda asked her father, wondering how Amber Rudd, the Deputy Prime Minister, would do Prime Minister’s Questions.

“That’s right.” Philip said.

* * *

Right after Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa had her last cabinet meeting, as well as her last weekly audience with the Queen, before she took her maternity leave. At the same time, Philip had his last round of meetings before taking his paternal leave.

Though it is the last day that Theresa and Philip would be in work (before their respective parental leaves would start the next day), the Mays are still staying in 10 Downing Street until Friday comes around. Theresa and Philip were fortunate enough to be able to secure such arrangement, so that they would both have the time to sort out anything that they haven’t sorted out on the last day before the beginning of their leave.

For dinner that night, Theresa and Philip decided to invite the people who would temporarily take over their jobs for them for dinner. On Theresa’s end, it was her Deputy Prime Minister, Amber Rudd. On Philip’s end, it was one of his coworkers, Brendan Richardson.

“We have decided to invite you two over for dinner,” Theresa went on, “As a way of thanking you both for accepting the task of taking over our jobs for us while my husband and I go on leave.”

“Theresa and I, respectively, have chosen you both to take over for us while we are on leave,” Philip went on, “Because we trust you both and see that the both of you are competent enough to do what we are doing.”

“Thank you, really, Theresa.” Amber Rudd said with joy, “It really means a lot to me that you have chosen me to be Acting Prime Minister.”

“Mr. May,” Brendan said with a smile, “Thank you. I’m happy that you’ve chosen me out of the ten people working in our department to look after the portfolios you’ve been assigned with.”

“Brendan, you’re welcome.” Philip told Brendan, “But please, call me Philip. We’re not in the office.”

“But you’re still my boss!” Brendan remarked.

“Oh Brendan,” Amber remarked, “I’ve been in your place too. When the Prime Minister said I could call her by her first name outside of official functions, it took me a few times to get used to it. You will get used to it, eventually.”

“Well, I guess you’re right, Ms. Rudd.” Brendan said, trying to hide the fact that he was a bit nervous as a result of being spoken to by the Deputy Prime Minister. He doesn’t feel the same about the Prime Minister and her husband, as he’s already met them various times. But the Deputy PM, this was the first time he actually got to meet her – despite the fact that his parents have retired in her constituency, and that he’s visited them there many times.

“Aunt Amber, will you be on the telly next week?” Hilda asked Amber, breaking the dead silence between Amber and Brendan in the process.

“Oh yes, I will be.” Amber told Hilda, “It will be the last PMQs before the Easter Break, by the way.”

“So you won’t be on the telly after next week?” Hilda asked.

“Yes, I won’t be.” Amber replied. Then, she turned to Brendan and said, “And if you want to watch my first and only PMQs as Acting Prime Minister, before the Easter Break begins, you’re more than welcome to. I can save you a place at the Visitor’s Gallery.”

“I-that’s really nice of you, Ms. Rudd.” Brendan said as he cracked a small smile.

“I figured out that you might be interested.” Amber told him.

Then, the dinner went on, with Amber and Brendan talking about how nice Hastings is as the Mays listened to them. Weekday dinners like this are the weekday dinners that Theresa and Philip enjoy having, one where they were able to talk about lighthearted things. Not that they didn’t like talking about politics on the dinner table on the weekdays, but rather, for them, talking more about lighthearted things than politics was a refreshing change.

* * *

Theresa, Philip and Hilda were now huddled by the couch, watching a David Attenborough documentary as they each had a pint of sugar-free strawberry ice cream. This is how they’re capping off the day, which went generally well.

“I think Brendan has a liking for Amber.” Philip said, “I mean when Amber had headed home and Brendan was waiting for his Uber, he decided to call up his best friend, Priscilla, and he basically told her about how he went to a dinner, only to be surprised by the appearance of his favorite Cabinet Member.”

“Is this why Brendan would convince his parents to retire in Hastings?” Theresa asked, recalling that time when she and Philip invited him over for dinner two years ago where he was talking about how his parents are about to retire and how he has been convincing them to consider Hastings.

“Well, as his coworker, I can confirm that he really had that specific reason to ask his parents to retire there.” Philip said, “I mean his parents loved seaside places, Hastings is one. Not to mention that one time at work, he had been eyeing for a promotion, hoping to use his earnings to help his parents out in case they wanted a luxurious place to live in at Hastings.”

“Well, did he actually push through with applying for a promotion?” Theresa asked.

“Well, no.” Philip said, “Turns out his parents were fine with not having a luxurious place to live in at Hastings. The scenery and the neighborhood is already good enough for them, and they managed to find a decent house to live in without having to spend so much for it.”

“Please don’t tell me he wants to be in the local Conservative Association of that constituency too.” Theresa told Philip, seeing that Brendan would probably go as far as volunteering for Amber.

“Well, not yet.” Philip told him, “That would require him to register as a voter in that constituency. He’s still registered in Islington, but he doesn’t like his MP obviously.”

“And so does a significant number of people within his own party.” Theresa said, referring to the fact that hundreds of Labour MPs had put Jeremy Corbyn on a confidence vote multiple times, and as they speak, another confidence vote is being mounted against him – but is yet to happen.

“Hello Olivia, Hello Oliver!” Hilda said as she put her palm on top of her mother’s belly, “I hope you two like the ice cream, because I do!” she added, in a sing-song voice.

Theresa felt a kick on her belly. Then she said, “Looks like they do. In fact, I should have another serving.”

Then, Theresa went on to have another spoon of ice cream. Afterwards, she put her palm on top of her belly and said, “Better?”

And she felt a kick.

“Those two are going to grow up hoarding tubs of strawberry ice cream from Waitrose.” Philip said with a laugh, referring to the twins, “After all, strawberry is one of the best ice cream flavours out there!”

“Well, they are our children.” Theresa told Philip, “And because we love strawberry ice cream, they’ll love it as well.”

Philip put his palm on top of Theresa’s belly and said, “In two months, you two will be welcomed into this world and we’re so excited for it!”

Then Theresa did what Philip did as well, saying, “Mummy and Daddy are going to take a break from work to make sure you two are well taken cared of, because we love you both!”

Theresa felt two kicks. Probably one from each twin. It was a kick of approval for what their parents have told them.

Theresa and Philip smiled at each other. They are happy that things are still going well at this point – and it still will.

The Mays are excited for what is to come when Theresa and Philip’s parental leaves start. It was going to be a time for the family to step up their preparations for the two new additions to the family. They were going to get through this as a family, with all the love and strength that is needed.

Because after all, a new chapter is about to begin for them.


	71. Assembling Cribs and Harvesting Berries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the first day of Theresa and Philip's parental leave, they decided to start with assembling the new crib that they have bought while Jeremy takes Harriet out with him to his allotment where he harvests some berries.

_March 25, 2020 – Maidenhead_

It is the first week of Theresa and Philip off work for their respective parental leaves. For the last few days, they have spent the time decorating the nursery where Olivia and Oliver would be staying when the family is in Maidenhead. They had just gone home from buying a crib for Oliver (as Olivia would be using Hilda's old crib) and now they are assembling it.

“Philip, keep your grip on that headboard strong and stable.” Theresa instructed her husband as she started to join the headboard and a railing of the crib together with the latch bracket.

“Got it, boss.” Philip said with a smile.

“A few more…” Theresa said as she successfully attached the latch bracket that would join the two pieces that they were putting together, “And there we go!”

Then, they moved on to another piece of the crib which were the footboard and another railing and did the same thing, Philip holding the pieces while Theresa joins them together with a latch bracket. As they worked on putting together the crib, Hilda made her entrance into the nursery, carrying Marshmallow on her arms.

“Hi Mummy!” Hilda said, “Hi Daddy!”

“Hi sweetie!” Theresa and Philip told the young girl in unison.

“Would you like to help mummy and daddy out?” Theresa asked her daughter.

Hilda nodded in approval. Then, Theresa went on to tell the young girl, “Okay, mummy and daddy are putting the pieces of the crib together, there are latch brackets on the floor and I want you to hold on to them.”

“We’ll tell you whenever we need one of those and you’ll hand them over to us, okay?” Philip told Hilda.

“Okay mummy,” Hilda told her mother, “Okay daddy.” She told her father.

Then, Theresa momentarily went back to what she was doing earlier and when she finished with joining together the footboard and a railing, she asked Philip to hold on to the headboard and the railing attached to it, as well as the footboard and the railing attached to it.

Then, she told Hilda, “Hilda, can you give mummy a latch bracket?”

“Okay mummy.” Hilda said with a smile, handing Theresa over a latch bracket, which Theresa then used to join together the railing attached to the footboard to the headboard. Theresa then repeated the same process, getting another latch bracket for Hilda for the same parts that she was putting together.

When that was done, Theresa told Philip, “I want you to hold on to the other side of the crib so that we can put more latch brackets there.”

Then, Philip moved to the other side of the crib that still had missing latch brackets. Meanwhile, Theresa used the latch bracket she had in hand to join together the railing attached to the headboard to the footboard. Repeating the same process, she got the last latch bracket from Hilda and once again, used the latch bracket to join together the railing attached to the headboard to the footboard.

“Now that we’re done with this,” Theresa said, “Let’s put the base of the crib which would hold the mattress inside.”

Then, Theresa and Philip lifted together the base of the crib and carefully put it into the crib. When that was done, Philip told Theresa, “We finally did it!”

“Thanks for helping out, love!” Theresa told Philip.

“I’m more than happy to.” Philip responded, then he said “Now, we won’t be getting the mattress until later today according to the shop we got this crib from. What do you suggest should we do?”

“I think we should watch PMQs.” Theresa suggested, “I want to see how Amber is doing."

* * *

_House of Commons_

It is the last Prime Minister’s Questions before Parliament goes on an Easter Break. Besides that, it is also the first of the few consecutive times that the current deputies of the Prime Minister and of the Leader of the Opposition are taking over for their bosses at Prime Minister’s Questions.

This is because the Prime Minister has gone on a maternity leave, leaving her Deputy Prime Minister to temporarily assume her duties, including speaking at the PMQs on her behalf – and on the other hand, as what traditionally happens whenever the Prime Minister doesn’t get to be at PMQs, the Leader of the Opposition is not appearing at the PMQs for a few months as well, leaving the job to his deputy, Tom Watson.

“While the Right Honourable Member on the opposition benches talks about stabilizing this country, I would like to remind him that his own party can’t be stabilized, considering that as we speak, there are members of the opposition who are plotting to bring their leader down and the Labour Party’s leader is just allowing it to happen,” Amber Rudd said, referring to the ongoing plans for Labour to have Jeremy Corbyn replaced as their leader, “And if Labour can’t keep themselves stable, how would they be able to keep the country stable?”

“The Deputy Leader of the Opposition.” Eleanor Laing called out.

“First of all, I am very aware that there is a plot to have the Labour Party leader replaced, but I am not one of those who are backing them.” Tom went on, “Maybe you should direct your remarks towards the Member of Parliament for Doncaster North and his cohorts. They want Jeremy Corbyn gone, not I, and definitely not those among us who are loyal to him.”

Then the chamber broke into loud booing at Tom Watson as Amber Rudd smiled in victory. She was making her boss proud at this very moment.

* * *

_East Finchley, London_

“Looks like that’s our harvest for today, little one!” Jeremy Corbyn told his daughter, who was in a pram, babbling as he showed off the berries that he harvested from his allotment.

Jeremy had decided to take Harriet Camila, or as he and Laura lovingly called her, Camilita, to his allotment in East Finchley. He was a strong believer of introducing children to gardening, and while he wasn’t able to do this with his older children – now he is able to do it with his youngest.

“Should we head home now?” Jeremy asked the baby.

Harriet babbled at him.

“Alright then, let’s head home.” Jeremy told the baby.

Then, Jeremy put his harvests in a cloth tote bag and carried the bag with his shoulder. After that, he pushed the pram out of the allotment and into the streets, walking back home to Islington where he hopes to catch Prime Minister’s Questions on the telly.

* * *

_Islingon, London_

“Jeremy, they haven’t stopped plotting on you yet!” Laura told Jeremy as they watched PMQs.

“I know about that.” Jeremy said, trying to hide the fact that he was feeling distraught about the Blairites actually pursuing their plan to call a vote of confidence on him, “That’s why I’ve made Tom and my entire shadow cabinet work harder.”

“I know being Labour leader means a lot to you. You’ve wanted it for decades.” Laura told Jeremy, “But we have a child. You can become Labour leader again if you lost your job but you’ll only get one chance to watch your daughter grow up.”

“Of course I don’t want to abandon you, and our daughter.” Jeremy told Laura, “But if I lose that Labour leadership, we wouldn’t be living comfortably any longer. You know we only got this house because of the salary for being Leader of the Opposition.”

“Well, you were used to living often in expensive houses.” Laura remarked Jeremy, “And you still are. It would be a shame on your part if we lost this house because you lost your job.” She added, knowing that Jeremy was not exactly stellar when it comes to financial management and it is only thanks to John McDonnell that he hasn’t lost everything he’s earned.

“Honestly, thank you.” Jeremy told Laura, “Thank you for reminding me to work extra hard to defeat the Blairites’ motion to call a confidence vote on me.”

“Work hard on it, yes.” Laura told Jeremy, “But do not forget the people who truly matter.  Your shadow cabinet will come and go, but we’ll always be here for you.”

Jeremy really felt what Laura was telling him. After all, he’s had people resign from his shadow cabinet a lot of times – and yet, he still has his wife and his children (and his brother, whom he hasn’t seen so often).

* * *

_Maidenhead_

“Poor Jeremy, now he has to fight off that confidence vote.” Philip remarked as he, Theresa and Hilda watched the PMQs.

“This is the third time he has to face a confidence vote.” Theresa commented, “The last two ones didn’t remove him from power. This one might just remove him from power.”

“Looks like his ambitions to become Prime Minister is waning.” Philip commented.

“On the other hand, Amber is doing well with the PMQs.” Theresa told Philip, “In fact, I’m much convinced that the government will be in good hands while I’m not around, thanks to Amber being there.”

“You’ve made a good decision, love.” Philip said, “Amber is the best choice to take over your job while you’re on leave.”

“And speaking of taking over jobs, I hope Brendan isn’t stirring any trouble at your office.” Theresa told her husband. She knew that Brendan had broken the office printer in her husband’s office once.

“Well, I have no phone calls from the office so far. It must mean Brendan has kept himself well behaved.” Philip told Theresa, “I just hope he doesn’t run in to any mishaps while I’m not in the office.” He is hopeful that Brendan would exercise great care in using the office equipment.

“Mummy, will you braid my hair?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Of course, love!” Theresa told Hilda.

Then, she started braiding Hilda’s hair as they continued to watch the PMQs. Now, the questions went from discussing the Labour Party’s motion to replace their leader to local matters.

The day was going well – Amber Rudd is succeeding on her first PMQs and Brendan hasn’t gotten into trouble while taking over his boss’ job, and Theresa and Philip at this point are confident that the work they have temporarily turned over to the people they have chosen are in good hands. With their work being in good hands, they would now have more time to dedicate to the new additions of their family.


	72. A Day Trip for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip May go on a day trip together in Wales for the last time before Theresa gives birth to the twins. Meanwhile, Hilda tries a new delicacy for the first time after Fiona Hill and Owen Jones introduce it to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to zahra970. Happy Easter to everyone!

_Teifi Marshes, Pembrokeshire, Wales_

“Oh, would you look at that adorable warbler!” Theresa remarked as she saw a warbler fly past her and her husband.

“There’s more of them!” Philip told Theresa as he pointed to the warblers that were flying towards their direction.

Theresa and Philip had decided to take a day trip together to Wales. This is the last trip that they could have together before Theresa gives birth. Philip had arranged for the trip since the week before, hoping that it would give Theresa enough relaxation before the babies arrive.

Luckily, the both of them managed to have someone look after Hilda while they’re out for the day. Fiona and Owen happened to be free for the day, and they were more than happy to look after the young girl while her parents are spending the day together in Wales.

“This is the perfect day trip, you know.” Theresa told Philip, “Us together marveling the beauty of nature.”

“Well after all, I know how much you love Wales, and bird watching.” Philip told Theresa, “And I figured out that this is the perfect place for us to spend the day in.”

“You are such a sweet man, Philip John May.” Theresa said as she held her husband’s hand.

“And I’m more than happy to be married to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.” Philip said with a smile as he looked at Theresa, “And to have a family with her.”

Then, the two heard a chirp and when Theresa and Philip tried to look for the source of the chirp, it was from no other than the warbler that chose to perch on Philip’s shoulder.

“Looks like the warbler thinks you’re a tree branch.” Theresa said with a giggle.

“Hello there birdy,” Philip told the warbler on his shoulder, “I see that you have mistaken me for a tree branch, huh?”

And the warbler chirped again, leading Theresa and Philip to giggle together.

“Let’s continue walking around the marshes, shall we?” Theresa suggested, “There is so much to look around.”

Philip nodded in agreement, then told the warbler perching on his shoulder with a soft voice, “I think it’s time for you to go now. Have a nice day, birdy!”

Then the warbler did as it was told and flew away as Theresa and Philip waved it goodbye.

* * *

_Maidenhead_

While Theresa and Philip are spending the day together in Wales, Hilda was at home in Maidenhead, being looked after by Fiona and Owen. This time around, the two decided to cook up some Shin Ramyun for (which they purchased from an Asian Grocery store in London) for lunch in addition to the food on the fridge that Theresa and Philip had allowed them to cook.

“I want some of those noodles!” Hilda said, pointing out to the bowl of Shin Ramyun that Fiona is having.

“They’re a bit spicy.” Fiona told the young girl, “Are you sure you want some?”

“Please!” Hilda said with a face that looked similar to those of a puppy’s.

“Well, why don’t you give her a little bit of the noodles.” Owen suggested to Fiona.

“Well, what if she finds it too spicy?” Fiona asked Owen.

“That’s why we’ve got a pitcher of ice cold water.” Owen said, pointing out to the pitcher of ice cold water that was on the middle of the dining table.

“Okay Hilda, you can have some.” Fiona told the young girl, “But not so much okay, because the noodles might be too spicy for you.”

Hilda cheered as Fiona fed her some of her noodles. Fiona and Owen waited for Hilda’s reaction and Fiona is already ready to give Hilda a glass of ice cold water when suddenly…

“I want more noodles!” Hilda told Fiona and Owen, with a look that obviously said that she didn’t find the noodles too spicy.

“H-how do you not find the noodles spicy, young lass?” Fiona asked Hilda in disbelief. _A three-year old child with English blood in the United Kingdom not finding Shin Ramyun spicy, how is that possible?_ , Fiona asked herself.

Owen on the other hand, simply looked with disbelief at what just happened.

“More noodles, please!” Hilda said, calling Fiona and Owen’s attention.

“Okay, more noodles for you.” Fiona said, coming out of her brief shock at what just happened as she set aside some noodles for Hilda in a separate bowl.

“Thank you, Aunt Fiona!” Hilda said with joy.

* * *

“Fiona, how on earth did she manage to do that?” Owen asked Fiona in the kitchen as Hilda took a nap in the living room.

“Her biological mum’s Mexican and her biological dad’s English.” Fiona explained, “But even with that, I thought Hilda was going to take on her biological dad’s characteristics when it came to tolerance for spicy food.”

“Looks like her Mexican side is the one that’s manifested whenever she eats something spicy.” Owen told Fiona, “Do Mr. and Mrs. May know about this?”

“Well they know who Hilda’s biological parents are. They even met her biological mother after Hilda was born.” Fiona explained to Owen, “But as far as I know, Theresa and Philip haven’t fed Hilda spicy food yet so I assumed that until today, she hasn’t eaten anything spicy yet.”

“Do you think we should be feeding her more Shin Ramyun the next time we get to buy those?” Owen asked Fiona.

“Well there’s no problem about that, but we shouldn’t give her too much Shin Ramyun. Instant noodles isn’t exactly good for growing children.” Fiona told Owen, “And oh, the identities of Hilda’s biological parents stays between us, and between the Prime Minister and her husband, okay?”

“Got it, Lady Hill.” Owen responded, leading to Fiona giggling for a bit.

“And please, don’t call me Lady Hill.” Fiona told Owen, “I’m not a Baroness.”

“Well, given how loyal you have been to Mrs. May,” Owen told Fiona, “There’s no reason why she can’t nominate you for a peerage soon so you becoming Lady Hill is not entirely out of the question.”

“Well if I become a Member for the House of Lords, then yes, you can start calling me Lady Hill.” Fiona told Owen, “But until then, it’s either Fiona or Miss Hill.”

“Or Mrs. Jones in the future.” Owen said with a smirk.

“Oh come on, we’ve only started dating.” Fiona told Owen, “And now you’re rushing into marriage!”

“I was only joking!” Owen said defensively, “I’m not in a hurry to marry you yet. We still need to get to know each other more, remember!”

Fiona simply smiled and ruffled Owen’s hair as she giggled at his attempt to be cheeky at her.

* * *

_Glasshouse Café, The Welsh Wildlife Centre, Pembrokeshire, Wales_

After going around the Teifi Marshes, Theresa and Philip are now having lunch at the Glasshouse Café. They are enjoying their meal, especially because they have been very hungry from walking around the marshes earlier on.

“This roast beef is just so delicious!” Theresa said as she had another bite of the roast beef, “So delicious that I might need a second serving after this.”

“I agree with you. The roast beef is one of the best I’ve ever had!” Philip said, taking a bite of his roast beef afterwards.

“Their mashed potatoes are also perfect, you know.” Theresa said with a smile right after she had a bite of the mashed potatoes, “They’ve got the consistency of it right!”

“Not like the mashed potatoes we had at this restaurant near the House of Commons the last time we had a dinner date there.” Philip told Theresa, “That one looked like wallpaper paste and tasted so bland!”

“Well, what do you expect from an overhyped restaurant.” Theresa told Philip, “They’re so good at marketing, but so bad at making food that’s actually of good quality.”

“Well that’s the last time either of us are going to trust a Flora Gill column when it says that a certain restaurant is worth dining in!” Philip told Theresa.

“Well you couldn’t blame Amber for asking us to try out this restaurant that her daughter reviewed for The Times.” Theresa told Philip, “She only wanted to try helping her daughter out with her career.”

“I’ve got nothing against Amber, as I’ve seen that she’s done a great job as your deputy.” Philip told Theresa, “I understand that she’s only helping her daughter out with her writing career.”

“But she isn’t that stellar as a food critic.” Theresa said as a matter of factly.

“I’ll tell you what, Theresa.” Philip told Theresa, “You may not be a food critic, but if you were one, you’d be more stellar than Flora Gill. You do not only cook well but you’ve got great taste when it comes to which restaurants to dine in!”

“That’s so sweet of you to say, Philip.” Theresa said with a smile, “You never fail to say such nice things to me, and you never fail to do such nice things for me as well!”

“Thank you, love!” Philip replied, “I’ll always be happy to be a loving husband to you, and to be a loving father to our children.”

* * *

After lunch, Theresa and Philip headed to the gift shop of the Welsh Wildlife Centre to buy some souvenirs to take home.

“Okay, so far we’ve got some refrigerator magnets.” Theresa said as she pointed out to the refrigerator magnets that she and Philip picked out, “I’ll give one to Fiona and another to Owen, to thank them for choosing to look after Hilda during their free day while we’re out spending the day in Wales.”

“Should we get Hilda this warbler plush toy?” Philip said as he held up a warbler plush toy that he showed to Theresa.

“That looks adorable, we should get that for her!” Theresa said as Philip put the warbler plush toy into the shopping basket.

Then, as they moved on to the other parts of the gift shop, they came across onesies with different designs. One onesie had warblers printed all over it, another had mallards printed all over it. There were also onesies with dragonflies printed all over it, as well as onesies with prints of the wild flowers found in the Teifi Marsh all over it.

“I think we should get two of each design, love.” Theresa told Philip, “These onesies will look really adorable on Olivia and Oliver.” She added, imagining Olivia and Oliver wearing the onesies that she and her husband are about to buy for them.

“I agree.” Philip said as he helped Theresa put the onesies that they have chosen into the shopping basket.

Then, when Theresa and Philip had finally finished shopping at the gift shop, they paid for their souvenirs at the till and then from there, they made their way to the bus stop just outside the wildlife centre where they’ll take a bus going to Finch Square. From Finch Square, they’ll take the bus going to Goodwick Square and once they’ve arrived at Goodwick Square, they’ll take the train that would take them back to London.

* * *

After a trip that lasted for seven hours, Theresa and Philip were finally back at home in Maidenhead. They were fortunate enough to still catch Hilda awake by the time they got home. They already had dinner at the train earlier on, while Hilda already had dinner with Fiona and Owen at home.

“Here’s some refrigerator magnets for you both.” Theresa said as she handed Fiona and Owen one refrigerator magnet each, “Philip and I bought those as a thank you gift because you two looked after Hilda today.”

“These look nifty, thank you!” Fiona said as she looked at her refrigerator magnet.

“Thank you for this!” Owen said.

“And for you Hilda, here’s a warbler plush toy!” Theresa said as she gave Hilda her warbler plush toy.

“This looks so cute!” Hilda said with joy, “Thank you mummy and daddy!”

“You’re welcome sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in response.

“So, what were you up to today, Hilda?” Theresa asked Hilda.

“Aunt Fiona and Uncle Owen made some spicy noodles.” Hilda said with excitement, “And it’s yummy!”

With that, Theresa and Philip both looked at Fiona and Owen, who at this point looked like they expect to be told off by the Prime Minister and her husband for feeding their daughter noodles that are considered “too spicy” for Western standards.

“I see you two have introduced new food to our daughter, huh?” Philip said as he playfully glared at Fiona and Owen.

“She wanted some noodles, and we gave her some noodles and she liked it!” Owen said in a somewhat defensive manner.

“Owen’s right. We didn’t force her to have those noodles.” Fiona said, in defense of Owen.

“We’re not angry at you two.” Theresa told Fiona and Owen, “But at least you could have let us know first.”

“But we didn’t want to ruin your trip together at Wales!” Fiona told Theresa, “Plus, we would never hurt Hilda.”

“I understand.” Theresa told Fiona, as well as Owen, “But next time, if you are looking to introduce new food to Hilda when we’re not here, you’ll have to let us know.”

“Okay.” Fiona and Owen said in unison.

“Mummy, Daddy, can you buy those spicy noodles please!” Hilda told her parents.

“Well, we’d love to.” Philip told Hilda, “Except I don’t know what the noodle is called.”

“Shin Ramyun.” Fiona and Owen said in unison.

“We bought it from an Asian grocery near Westminster.” Fiona told Theresa, “Owen and I can even show you where the grocery is if you want.”

“Well, since we’re going to be here in Maidenhead most of the time.” Theresa said, “Perhaps, the next time you and Owen visit, you could bring us some of those noodles because Philip and I would love to try it as well.”

“That will be no problem for us.” Fiona told Theresa with a smile.

* * *

As Hilda slept in her bedroom, and as Fiona slept in one of the two guest rooms of the house, and Owen slept in the second guest room, Theresa and Philip were now in their own bedroom, about to go to sleep.

“You know what, we always thought Hilda wasn’t going to like spicy food considering that her biological father is an English man.” Philip told Theresa, “But look at her now, she just had her first spicy food.”

“We fed her curry when she was one, though.” Theresa told Philip, “Although, we took care to feed her curry whose spiciness was so mild that it is barely detectable.”

“I think we’re can already widen our choices of where to eat whenever we eat out as a family.” Philip said, “Considering that Hilda does just fine with eating spicy food.”

“I’m sure her biological mother would have been happy to find out that she’s acquired her tolerance for spicy food.” Theresa told Philip.

“Do you think Olivia and Oliver would ever love curry as much as we do?” Philip asked Theresa.

“I’m sure they will.” Theresa said as she put her palm on top of her belly, “After all, they’re our children. They’ll take on the traits that we have, our love for curry included.”

“Well, we better get some sleep now,” Philip said, “Because we’ve got another wonderful day coming up!”

“Good night, Philip.” Theresa said, kissing Philip’s forehead afterwards.

“Good night, Theresa.” Philip said, kissing Theresa back on her forehead afterwards.

Then, Theresa and Philip went to sleep, joining the rest of the people in their home who are taking a peaceful slumber. Another wonderful day awaits the Mays and their guests.


	73. Home-Cooked Lunch and Dainty Nails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Theresa's due date comes closer, Philip surprises her by cooking lunch and doing a manicure session. At the same time, Hilda asks about her nickname, which leads to her parents deciding on a nickname for both Olivia and Oliver.

_April 18, 2020 – Maidenhead_

The birth of the twins was approaching closer for Theresa. At this point, there are only a few weeks before her due date. Despite being on leave, both Theresa and Philip made use of their time by joining in events hosted by the Maidenhead Conservative Association, the Conservative Association that they both are a part of. When they were not in constituency events, they would take Hilda with them to the parks around Maidenhead – which sometimes involved taking Chloe, the family’s Chocolate Labrador out on a walk.

The leave also became an opportunity for Philip to sharpen up his cooking skills. In fact, on this very day, he decided to volunteer in preparing lunch for the family. He decided that he would cook up some salmon fillet, paired up with seafood pasta.

“What are you cooking, love?” Theresa said as she hugged Philip from behind while he cooked up the pasta.

“For lunch, we’re having Salmon Filet, and Seafood Pasta.” Philip told Theresa as he watched the pasta cook.

“And what about for dessert?” Theresa asked, curious about what sweet treat her husband has in store after they have taken their lunch.

“Strawberry Shortcake.” Philip said, “In fact, the cake is being baked in the oven right now as we speak.”

“You better not disappoint Hilda, the twins and I, love.” Theresa told Philip with a smile, “We wouldn’t want to have an unpleasant meal now, would we?”

“Of course I don’t want our meal to become unpleasant!” Philip told Theresa, “I only want the best for all of us, especially for the little ones who are tickling my back right now.” He added, referring to the fact that he can feel the twins in Theresa’s belly kick on his back.

“Oh, looks like Olivia and Oliver are excited for lunch.” Theresa smiled as she kept one arm around Philip while she put her other hand on top of her belly.

“Mummy, is lunch ready now?” Hilda asked as she walked into the kitchen with Marshmallow in her arms and Chloe following them.

“Your daddy’s still cooking the pasta, sweetie.” Theresa said as she looked at Hilda.

“Looks like Marshmallow and Chloe are joining us for lunch, huh?” Philip said, upon noticing the two critters who have joined Hilda into the kitchen, “That’s alright, I’ve got something for them too.”

“What are they having?” Theresa asked, referring to what Marshmallow and Chloe would have for lunch.

“Marshmallow’s going to have some Spanish sardines, and Chloe’s going to have some beef mixed with rice.” Philip announced.

“Well then, I’m excited for this lunch you’ve put together for all of us!” Theresa told Philip.

* * *

“For the main dish, Salmon Filet and Seafood Pasta!” Philip announced as he put down the plate of Salmon Filet and the plate of Seafood Pasta on the table.

“It looks yummy!” Hilda said as she clapped.

Philip then went back to the kitchen to get the food for Marshmallow and Chloe. After a few moments, he emerged back into the dining room.

“And for our Marshmallow, Spanish sardines.” Philip said as he set down the feeding bowl containing Spanish sardines for Marshmallow, “And Beef mixed with Rice for our Chloe!” he added as he set down the feeding bowl containing Beef mixed with Rice for Chloe.

Philip then went back to the kitchen to wash his hands after serving Marshmallow and Chloe’s food. Then a few moments later, he was back in the dining room. Then, Hilda led the grace before meals and when that was done, the Mays started eating their lunch, joined by their cat and their dog.

* * *

With the main course done, Philip excused himself from the dining room to get the Strawberry Shortcake from the kitchen. With much detail, Philip made equal slices on the cake and then when he was done, he returned to the dining room with the cake which he and his family are having for dessert.

“I present to you, this Strawberry Shortcake!” Philip announced as he walked towards the dining table, setting the cake down at the center.

“I must say, this cake you’ve baked looks good.” Theresa commented.

“It does not only look good, it tastes good as well!” Philip told Theresa.

“Can I have a slice?” Hilda asked her mother and her father.

“Of course.” Theresa said with a smile, then turned to Philip and said, “Philip, please give our Yorkshire Pudding a slice of cake.”

“As you wish, ma’am.” Philip said with a smile, giving Hilda her slice of the cake afterwards.

As Hilda started digging into her slice of cake, Philip gave Theresa her slice of the cake as well, saying, “And to the lovely Prime Minister, my wife and the mother of our children, here’s a slice of cake for you!”

“That’s so flattering to hear!” Theresa told her husband, “Thank you, love!”

“You’re welcome!” Philip said with a smile, “And now, a slice of cake for myself.”

Theresa then giggled at Philip, who giggled at her as well.

“Mummy, why did you call me a Yorkshire Pudding?” Hilda asked as her mother and her father started to consume their slices of cake.

“Oh sweetie.” Theresa said with a giggle, realizing that this is the first time Hilda asked why she had such nickname, “You were born on Christmas Day and Yorkshire Pudding is a famous Christmas dish. That’s why your daddy and I call you a Yorkshire Pudding.”

“If you and daddy call me a Yorkshire Pudding, what do you and daddy call Olivia and Oliver then?” Hilda asked, curious if her parents had designated a food item as a nickname to her younger siblings who are yet to be born.

“Scones. We’ll call them Scones.” Theresa told Hilda, “Because Scones come in multiple amounts, just like how there are two babies in my tummy, which are Olivia and Oliver.”

“Hear that, we’re calling you two a pair of Scones now.” Philip said, speaking towards Theresa’s belly as he put his palm on top of it. This resulted to Theresa feeling kicks in her belly.

“Well, they approve of it.” Theresa said with a smile as she put her palm on top of her belly, which is already prominently round at this point, but not so heavy since she could still move around without much difficulty.

“Hello Scones, I’m a Yorkshire Pudding!” Hilda said, speaking towards her mother’s belly as well as she put her palm on top of it. This elicited laughter from both Theresa and Philip.

The Mays had such an amusing conversation over some Strawberry Shortcake. From talking about what nicknames to give to the twins, they talked about what it would be like when the twins have desserts for the first time.

* * *

After lunch, Philip decided to do something for his wife and his daughter, which was to pamper them. This is how Philip ended up seated beside Theresa, painting her fingernails with some nail polish while the both of them and Hilda watched an episode of the Great British Bake Off.

“How am I doing?” Philip asked Theresa as he finished painting her right fingernails with some crimson red nail polish.

“You are doing amazing!” Theresa told Philip with a smile, “You never fail to do an amazing job with painting my nails.”

“Daddy, will you paint my nails too?” Hilda asked her father as she showed her hands to him, wiggling her fingers as well.

Theresa looked at Hilda, then looked at Philip, and said, “Yes, you may paint her nails.”

“Your mummy says I can paint your nails.” Philip told Hilda, with Hilda cheering in excitement in response, “But I’ll put some protective coating on your mummy’s nails first before I paint your nails, okay?” he added.

“Okay.” Hilda responded.

Philip then proceeded to put the protective coating on each of Theresa’s fingernails. The protective coating is colourless, so it does not distort the colour of the crimson red nail polish which is the base coating.

When Philip finished painting Theresa’s fingernails, Theresa told Hilda as she patted the space between her and Philip, “You can sit beside mummy now, so your daddy can paint your nails.”

Then, Hilda transferred, now sitting between her parents. Philip then gave Hilda a throw pillow which she put both of her hands on so that he could start painting her nails.

“Do you have a specific colour in mind?” Philip asked Hilda, “For the nail polish.”

“I want the same colour as mummy’s!” Hilda told Philip.

“Alright then, I’ll paint your nails with the nail polish of the same colour as mummy’s.” Philip told Hilda.

Then, Philip started painting Hilda’s nails, exercising much caution because painting a child’s nails requires more attention to detail than painting a grown-up’s nails – and this is because childrens’ nails are smaller. As Philip painted Hilda’s nails, Theresa watched them and she could not help but find the scene of her husband painting their daughter’s nails adorable.

“Is your daddy doing well with painting your nails, sweetie?” Theresa asked Hilda who seemed to be enjoying having her nails painted.

“Yes he is.” Hilda said with a smile, “And my nails look so nice, don’t they mummy?”

“Yes they do.” Theresa said as she saw the result of her husband painting their daughter’s nails.

“Isn’t this adorable?” Philip asked Theresa, “I’m pampering you both and you two are enjoying it!”

“Of course this is adorable!” Theresa told Philip, “Everything you do is adorable!”

“Thank you, love!” Philip told Theresa. Then, he paused from painting Hilda’s nails for a while and asked Theresa, “Would you mind if I kissed your cheek?”

“I don’t mind at all!” Theresa said, and with that, Philip kissed her on the cheek.

“Now, can you continue with painting our dear Yorkshire Pudding’s nails?” Theresa asked Philip.

“Of course, love.” Philip said, going back to what he earlier did, which was painting Hilda’s nails.

“Mummy, Daddy, will we still get to bond like this even when Olivia and Oliver are born?” Hilda asked both of her parents.

“Of course, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison, then Theresa said, “We will always find time to get pampered.”

“Even when the babies are already born.” Philip added.

“And when Olivia and Oliver are old enough, they can join us too.” Theresa told Hilda.

“I love you mummy and daddy!” Hilda told her parents.

“We love you too, sweetie!” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

The afternoon family bonding did not end yet when Philip had finished painting Hilda’s fingernails. In fact, it still went on, this time, with the entire family watching more episodes of the Great British Bake-Off, with Theresa and Philip taking note of which dishes from the show to bake next, and which dishes from the show would they teach Hilda to bake once she’s ready to have minimal supervision while cooking and baking.

After all, one of the things that kept the Mays’ bond together as a family is their love for food, and they hope for the new additions of their family, Olivia and Oliver, to have this love for food as well.


	74. Welcoming the Bundles of Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment that the Mays have all been waiting for is about to arrive when Theresa starts to go on labour. Meanwhile, Hilda starts asking Fiona questions about life with a younger sibling.

_May 8, 2020 – Maidenhead_

It is a lovely spring afternoon on a Friday and Hilda is having her piano lessons. This time around, Mrs. Wilson is already teaching her how to play a piano piece which is “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. Theresa and Philip listened as their daughter played the piano piece that was being taught to her.

“It sounds better than the last time you played it.” Mrs. Wilson went on to tell Hilda, “But you still need some more practice because there are times that you’d hit the wrong notes.”

“So what happens next?” Hilda asked Mrs. Wilson.

“I’ll show you how the piece is properly played again,” Mrs. Wilson explained to Hilda, “Then, I’ll have you play the piece by yourself again. Is that alright?”

“Yes, Mrs. Wilson.” Hilda answered.

Then, Mrs. Wilson proceeded to show Hilda how to play the piano piece properly – pausing once in a while to give Hilda the opportunity to repeat what she had just taught her by having her play a melody or two on the piano.

Mrs. Wilson however, is not the only guest in the Mays’ home – Fiona Hill is also there. She had arrived at the Mays’ home in Maidenhead at the request of Theresa and Philip who asked her if they could look after Hilda once Theresa is ready to head to the hospital to give birth. This is because, anytime soon, Theresa would be giving birth to Olivia and Oliver already.

“Alright Hilda, can you please play it again?” Mrs. Wilson asked Hilda, as she noticed that Hilda seemed ready to play the entire piece on her own once again.

“Okay, Mrs. Wilson.” Hilda answered, then she proceeded to play the piano piece again.

Fiona could not help but remember that time in her childhood when she took piano lessons as an after-school activity as she watched Hilda have her piano lessons. The only thing was that, however, Fiona had to eventually stop taking lessons sometime in secondary school because her parents suggested her to take up a job over the weekend rather than take piano lessons. For Hilda, however, it is a completely different story – growing up in a family whose financial situation is stable, she would not have to give up a hobby and seek employment by the time she is in secondary school.

As Hilda continued to play the piano piece, Philip could not help but notice that Theresa would slightly wince sometimes, as a result of the pain caused by the contractions that are already starting. Theresa, being Theresa, did not allow the pain to stop her from going on with her day.

“Perfect!” Mrs. Wilson said, applauding after Hilda finished playing the piano piece.

“You played very well, Hilda.” Theresa told her daughter, applauding for her afterwards.

“Great job, Hilda!” Philip told his daughter, applauding for her afterwards as well.

“Thank you, Mrs. Wilson,” Hilda said, facing her piano teacher, then facing to her parents, she said, “Thank you, mummy and daddy!”

“That sounded great, Hilda!” Fiona told Hilda as she walked into the living room.

“Thank you, Aunt Fiona!” Hilda said as she looked at Fiona.

“That’s it for today,” Mrs. Wilson told Hilda, “I’ll see you next week, Hilda. Goodbye!”, she added as she waved the young lass goodbye.

“Goodbye Mrs. Wilson!” Hilda told Mrs. Wilson as she waved her goodbye as well, “See you next week, too!”

“Fiona, will you please see Mrs. Wilson out to the front door?” Theresa asked Fiona.

“Absolutely, Mrs. May.” Fiona replied, doing as instructed afterwards and showing Mrs. Wilson out to the front door, where she had entered earlier on when she arrived for Hilda’s piano lessons.

* * *

After dinner, the Mays tuned in to Sounds Like Friday Night, a music entertainment programme. The show’s guest that night was a singing group whose claim to fame in the show were dancing and pulling extreme stunts on quad roller skates (which aren’t exactly built for the purpose of pulling extreme stunts) as they sung.

“Oh would you look at that!” Theresa said as she pointed out to the television, where Sounds Like Friday Night was on, “Look at the grace of that one skater who went from doing a ballroom move with her partner to doing a backflip that lands on one foot just after hitting a high note!”

“And her partner just made a perfect cartwheel as well!” Philip commented, “How that entire group manages to go from dancing to pulling extreme stunts in quad roller skates is beyond comprehension to me!”

“Quad roller skates aren’t exactly made for the purpose of pulling extreme stunts,” Theresa explained to her husband, “Dance moves, yes, but for extreme stunts, inline skates are more appropriate – and yet, those skaters managed to make the most out of quad roller skates!”

“Should we ask the Queen to give them an MBE if they win a grammy?” Philip asked Theresa, knowing well that the Prime Minister can actually recommend people who are worthy of an MBE to the Queen.

“That can be considered.” Theresa said in response.

Just then, the performance of the singing group had ended and the hosts were now giving their feedback to the performance. As Theresa, Philip and Hilda listened intently to what each judge had to say to the performers, Theresa suddenly felt another contraction, which was more painful than the last six times that it happened. Theresa then held on to her belly and told her husband in a soft voice, “I think this is it.” Her last contraction had been ten minutes ago, and her water had already broke before they had dinner – at this point really, they’re just in the waiting game.

Hilda noticed that her mother is in pain, and went on to press her ears on her mother’s belly, saying “Will you two stop hurting mummy! We’re trying to watch the telly here!”

And Theresa and Philip could not help but laugh at Hilda telling off her younger siblings who would be making their entrance to the world in a few hours’ time.

“Oh no sweetie, they’re not hurting mummy.”  Theresa explained to Hilda, “The pain that mummy is feeling is just a sign that they’re about to arrive.” She added, rubbing her belly gently afterwards.

“Did that happen before I was born too?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Yes it did, and it happens before all babies are born.” Theresa explained to her daughter, “It’s a normal process and as long as you are in good health, the pain should not put you in harm’s way.”

“Should we get you to the hospital now?” Philip asked Theresa.

“Of course, love.” Theresa told her husband.

Then, Philip rushed to the second floor of the house to get his and Theresa’s overnight bags for the trip to the hospital as they would be likely to stay there for a day or two – depending on the status of the health of Theresa and the twins after the birth takes place.

“Are we going with you?” Hilda asked, referring to her and Fiona.

“Of course, you and your Aunt Fiona will see us off at the hospital.” Theresa explained, “And after that, you two will be heading home, and you’ll wait here until your daddy says that you can already visit us at the hospital.”

“Everything’s ready love!” Philip announced from the staircase, “We should get going.”

Then, Philip and Fiona helped Theresa up from the couch and pretty much most of the way into the car, Theresa was still able to walk by herself – which was a feat considering that most other women in her place would need to be carried – or put in a stretcher. The work-out that Theresa does regularly, even while she is pregnant, definitely paid off!

* * *

_St. Mark’s Hospital – Maidenhead_

The Mays, along with Fiona, have now arrived at the emergency room of the St. Mark’s Hospital in Maidenhead – and to the surprise of the nurses and the doctors in the emergency room, Theresa was still walking on her own into the emergency room – with her husband, daughter and Fiona following behind.

“Can I help you with anything, Prime Minister?” A nurse asked Theresa as she approached her.

“I’m about to give birth.” Theresa calmly told the nurse despite being in so much pain from the contractions that were now getting much closer to each other, “I would appreciate it if you could assist me.”

“I’ll be on it, Prime Minister.” The nurse told Theresa, then turning to her colleagues, she yelled, “Get me a stretcher! The PM is about to give birth!”

Then, two nurses with the stretcher rushed towards Theresa. Then, they parked the stretcher and along with Philip, they helped her up on the stretcher and wheeled her towards a partition in the emergency room. Fiona and Hilda followed them to the partition.

As the nurses took Theresa’s vital signs, the doctor that was on duty in the emergency room called up Theresa’s doctor, Jennifer Campbell. Five minutes passed and Dr. Campbell arrived at the emergency room.

“Hello Prime Minister, hello Mr. May!” Dr. Campbell said after entering the partition of the emergency room where Theresa, her family, and Fiona are, “I’m glad that I’m still in the hospital when I got the call from the ER doctor on duty that the PM is about to give birth!”

“I’m glad you’ve made it here.” Theresa told Dr. Campbell, “In case you’re wondering how I’m doing, I’m still doing fine despite the pain I’m getting from the contractions.”

“And her vital signs are also normal.” The nurse who took Theresa’s vital signs told Dr. Campbell.

“Thank you, Lisa.” Dr. Campbell told the nurse who took Theresa’s vital signs.

“So we’ll be heading up to the delivery room and as Theresa and I have discussed in our last appointment, her husband, Philip will be accompanying her.” Dr. Campbell explained to Fiona, Hilda, the nurses and the ER doctor who are with her, “As for you, Hilda and, who are you miss?” she added, looking at Hilda, then at Fiona afterwards.

“Fiona, I’m Fiona Hill. A family friend of the Mays.” Fiona told Dr. Campbell.

“Okay, as for you, Hilda, and Fiona.” Dr. Campbell told Hilda and Fiona, “You two can wait at the cafeteria which is open 24/7. There are comfortable seats there too.”

“The PM and her husband had instructed us to head home in the meantime.” Fiona told Dr. Campbell, “Mr. May will let us know when it’s okay for us to come back here.”

“Very well then, in that case, we should be heading to the delivery room now.” Dr. Campbell said.

Theresa then reached out her hand for Hilda, who held on to it. Then Theresa said, “Don’t worry so much about mummy, okay. I’ll be alright and you’ll get to see me, your daddy, and your younger siblings in a few hours time.”

“Okay mummy.” Hilda said as she squeezed her mother’s hand one last time before they would temporarily part ways.

“Be a good girl to Aunt Fiona for mummy and daddy, okay.” Theresa told Hilda. After which, the two let go of each other’s hands.

“Okay mummy.” Hilda said to her mother once again as the attending nurses and Dr. Campbell wheeled Theresa out of the emergency room and towards the delivery room, with Philip following them.

* * *

Fiona and Hilda were now back at the Mays’ home in Maidenhead and for that particular night, Fiona decided to accompany Hilda in her bedroom. Instead of a bedtime story, Hilda was asking Fiona questions about what it is like to have a younger sibling.

“Do babies always wake up when everyone else is asleep?” Hilda asked Fiona, who had earlier told her about how her parents had to wake up at dawn (when most people are still asleep) because her younger sister is hungry.

“Well, they do, up to a certain age.” Fiona explained to Hilda, “That’s because babies have small tummies so they easily get hungry – and since they usually sleep after having milk, when they suddenly wake up, it can be because they need to have some milk again since the last milk they had is already digested.”

“When do they stop waking up when everyone else is asleep?” Hilda asked.

“They start to sleep throughout the night as early as three months and as late as twelve months.” Fiona explained.

“How about me, when did I start doing that?” Hilda asked Fiona.

“Well, at five months, you started to sleep throughout the night. That’s what your mummy and daddy told me.” Fiona explained to Hilda, “And speaking of which, you should really get some sleep now so that you’re well rested when we visit your mummy, daddy and younger siblings. Okay?”

“Okay.” Hilda said in a soft voice, “Let’s say a bedtime prayer first.”

“Of course, sweetie.” Fiona told Hilda.

Then, Fiona and Hilda said a bedtime prayer together, with Hilda ending the prayer at “And take care of Mummy, Daddy and Olivia and Oliver. Amen.”

“Good night, Hilda.” Fiona told Hilda after they prayed.

“Good night, Aunt Fiona.” Hilda said in response.

Then, Fiona switched off the night light beside Hilda’s bed and both Fiona and Hilda started sleeping, making their way to dreamland – where they will be for the next few hours until it is time for them to visit Hilda’s parents and younger siblings at the hospital.


	75. Three Becomes Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins are finally born and Theresa and Philip are overjoyed to see their babies for the first time. Hilda is overjoyed to see her younger siblings for the first time as well.

_May 9, 2020, 1:45 am – St. Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead_

After two hours of waiting, Theresa had already started to deliver the first of her twins. The process was painful, yes, but Theresa mustered all the strength that she could so that her twins could finally be born. Philip on the other hand, stayed by her side, offering her all the support she needs – whether it was the encouraging words, allowing her to squeeze his hand every now and then, or letting her pull whatever is left of his hair when she isn’t squeezing his hand.

“Okay, the first baby’s almost there!” Jennifer Campbell, Theresa’s doctor said, “Just one more push!”

“Here goes!” Theresa said as she made that one more push, clutching her husband’s hand tightly at the same time.

And the first of the two twins is finally out – much to the relief of Theresa and Philip. It was one down and another one to go as they heard the first baby cry loudly.

Dr. Campbell carefully lifted the baby up and announced to Theresa and Philip, “Congratulations! It’s a girl!”

Dr. Campbell then handed the baby over to one of the nurses, who cleaned the baby up as she and her fellow nurses and the doctor, waited for Theresa to deliver the next baby.

“Okay Prime Minister, you just need to make a few more pushes for the second baby to come out.” Dr. Campbell oriented Theresa, “Are you ready?”

“I’m more than ready.” Theresa said with determination, making a push afterwards.

“Are you alright, love?” Philip asked Theresa, who was now pulling whatever was left of his hair.

“I’m alright.” Theresa said in between pushes, “I’ve only got a few pushes to go and we’ll finally get to spend time with our babies.”

“The second baby’s almost there!” Dr. Campbell said, cheering on Theresa, who was doing rather well for someone who is giving birth for the first time.

Theresa made another strong push, this time, while clutching her husband’s hand. It went rather quickly compared to when she was giving birth to the female twin. The next thing she knew, she heard another cry, coming from the second twin this time.

“Congratulations, It’s a boy!” Dr. Campbell said as she lifted the second twin up. Theresa and Philip noticed that the male twin seemed smaller than the female twin.

Dr. Campbell then had the second twin cleaned up as well and once that was all done, Theresa was given the opportunity to hold her twin babies – a girl and a boy. Theresa, as well as Philip, could not help but look at the twins with immense pride and joy. The babies that they had been waiting for thirty-nine years were finally with them.

“Hello there Olivia and Oliver,” Theresa told the babies, “Your daddy and I have been waiting for you two and you two are finally here!”

And all the babies did were yawn at their parents.

“Well, they seem to be sleepy.” Theresa commented, “I think it’s time for all of us to get some rest. We’ve done a great job here!” she added, acknowledging the efforts of everybody in the room – from the effort she had done to deliver the babies, to the effort of her husband to support her through it, and all the way to the effort of Dr. Campbell and her team of nurses who made sure she delivered her babies safely – and most especially, to Olivia and Oliver, her and Philip’s babies, who were both born generally healthy.

“Before we all take a rest, I’d just like to let you and Philip know something important.” Dr. Campbell told Theresa and her husband, “The female twin weighs six pounds and seven ounces while the male twin weighs four pounds and two ounces. Regarding the male twin’s weight, that’s nothing to worry about although, if he doesn’t make it past the five pound mark in three days, he has to stay a bit longer in the hospital so that we could ensure that he will be healthy enough to be taken home.”

“Thank you for letting us know about that.” Theresa told Dr. Campbell.

“No problem, Prime Minister.” Dr. Campbell said, “It’s all a part of my job.”

Then, Theresa, along with her babies, were wheeled into the private suite that was prepared for her as Philip followed them behind. They could finally get some rest after staying awake throughout the night.

* * *

_Nine hours later_

“Ma’am, Sir, here are the birth certificates of your children.” A nurse said as she showed Theresa and Philip the copies of Olivia and Oliver’s birth certificates, “You might want to check these before we have them finalized.”

“Of course.” Theresa said as she went over Olivia and Oliver’s birth certifiactes.

Olivia’s birth certificate read:

_This is to certify that Olivia Zaidee Joy May weighing 6lbs 7oz was born on the day of Saturday, 9th May to Theresa Mary May and Philip John May in the year of 2020_

While Oliver’s birth certificate read:

_This is to certify that Oliver Hubert John May weighing 4lbs 2oz was born on the day of Saturday, 9th May to Theresa Mary May and Philip John May in the year of 2020_

After going over Olivia and Oliver’s birth certificates, Theresa told the nurse, “Well, we don’t need to make any corrections.”

“Alright then, if you and your husband could just affix your signature here and here.” The nurse said as she pointed out the blanks in the birth certificate where they should both sign on.

Theresa and Philip then affixed their signatures on both Olivia and Oliver’s draft birth certificates, and after which, they thanked the nurse for taking the time to have them verify the birth certificate and then the nurse was off to have the birth certificate finalized. As the nurse exited the room, Hilda and Fiona made their entrance as well.

“Mummy!” Hilda said as she ran into Theresa’s private suite. The little lass was overjoyed to see her mother again, and to see her baby siblings whom she has been waiting to meet for the past nine months.

“Hello there, my Yorkshire Pudding!” Theresa said as she held on to her daughter’s hands as soon as she stood on her bedside.

“Where are the babies?” Hilda asked her mother.

“There they are.” Theresa said, pointing out to the two hospital cribs just beside Hilda.

“But I can’t see the babies!” Hilda said as she went on tiptoes in an attempt to take a look at the babies.

“Let me help you.” Fiona said as she carried Hilda so that she could see the babies better.

“Which one is Olivia?” Hilda asked her mother, who was now sitting upright on her bed.

“She’s the baby on the left crib.” Theresa told Hilda.

“Is Oliver the baby on the right crib?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Yes, he’s the baby on the right crib.” Theresa said.

“Mummy, Oliver looks so tiny, just like daddy!” Hilda said as she looked at Oliver, who is in fact, smaller than Olivia, not just in weight but in size as well.

Philip then walked straight up to Oliver’s crib, picked the baby up and held him close to his face and told everyone in the room, “Hey, we’re fun sized!”

Theresa, as well as Hilda and Fiona could not help but giggle at the stunt that Philip just pulled. Philip, of course, took her daughter’s comment lightly, and decided to make a light moment out of it.

“Looks like Oliver’s got the genes of the males in the May side of the family.” Theresa remarked, joining in the light moment, “That is, he’s small, like you and the men in your family.” She added, telling Philip.

“We may be small, but we’re full of love.” Philip told Theresa, “And you know that for sure because we’re now heading towards the fortieth year of our marriage!”

“Oh Philip,” Theresa said, “Of course you’re still worth loving even if I’m taller than you.” She added with a giggle.

Philip could not help but blush at what Theresa just told him. What she’s said is always true, she always loves him, even if at the very start, and even until now, she’s still taller than him. It’s the same for him as well, he always loves her, even if at the very start, and even until now, he’s still shorter than her.

“And of course, I love our twins equally.” Theresa told Philip.

“Even if one is bigger than the other?” Philip asked Theresa.

“Of course, love.” Theresa said in response.

“Hey, how about me?” Hilda asked her mother, “Will you and Daddy still love me as much as you did before the babies were born?”

“Of course, my little Yorkshire Pudding!” Theresa told her daughter, “Mummy and Daddy aren’t going to stop loving you!”

“No one is going to get left out of this family.” Philip reassured his daughter.

“A bigger family means that there is more love to go around, after all.” Theresa added, “We will love you and your baby siblings equally.”

Philip then went on to pick up Olivia from her hospital crib as well and then, he handed both Olivia and Oliver over to Theresa who held on to the babies that snuggled on her. Philip and Hilda followed suit as well, hugging Theresa (and the babies) from both sides.

“I love you mummy, I love you daddy, and I love you Olivia and Oliver.” Hilda said to her parents, and to her younger siblings.

Fiona could not help but recognize how adorable the moment that’s happening in front of her is. She never saw anything like this while she was growing up. For the first time, she finally saw the image of a loving family – one that she never saw as a child.

“Can I?” Fiona asked, looking at the family in front of her.

“Of course.” Theresa and Philip told Fiona in unison.

Then, Fiona joined in the group hug – which was a source of so much joy for her as she has already considered the Mays as family a long time ago, even before Hilda was born – and now, she has been given the honor of witnessing as the family that she has considered as hers welcomed its new additions. She promised to herself to give the babies the same love and protection that she has given to their parents and their older sister.

It is another new chapter for the Mays and they are glad to go on the journey which is raising the new additions to their family.


	76. The Special Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the twins are born, Theresa and Philip have special visitors - Philip's brother and his wife, who have been very excited to see their new nephew and niece.

_May 10, 2020 – St. Mark’s Hospital, Maidenhead_

Dr. Campbell has advised Theresa to spend the rest of the weekend in the hospital – this was so that she could recover better from giving birth, and also so that Oliver could be monitored more closely, given his low birth weight.

Theresa and Philip had already asked the Director of Communications for 10 Downing Street to announce the birth of Olivia and Oliver through the Maidenhead Advertiser the previous day, and they had been receiving a lot of positive responses from it. For one, Nicola Sturgeon had called them up, asking for her and her husband to become godparents to one of the twins – like she did with Hilda when she was a baby.

Ruth Davidson called them up and asked to be a godmother to one of the twins as well, as with Maria Caulfield and Andrea Leadsom who volunteered themselves and their husbands for the same role.

Suddenly, Olivia and Oliver now have two possible pairs of godparents each.

As for visitors, Fiona is still their only visitor as of the previous day, but she is visiting again on this day with her boyfriend in tow. There are of course, two more visitors they were going to expect on that day – none other than Philip’s brother and sister-in-law – David and Byrony.

The two had been so excited to see Olivia and Oliver that when they first saw Theresa’s pregnancy announcement, they went straight to buying baby clothes for the twins – and when they found out the twins had been born, they decided that they should make the trip to Maidenhead on the next day.

“I bet I could carry Oliver with one hand.” Owen commented as he looked at Oliver, who was now being cuddled by his twin sister – which Theresa and Philip suggested to the attending nurse as a way for Oliver to be in better health, “I mean look at him, he’s so tiny!”

“Owen, please don’t.” Fiona said, holding his hand, “Theresa and Philip won’t like it if we tried doing that to any of their children.”

Fiona and Owen had been in the suite for quite a while already, which Theresa and Philip didn’t mind because they needed help in looking after Hilda, who has nested on the couch in the suite.

“Owen Jones, you better leave Oliver alone.” Philip told Owen, “That baby needs to be protected, especially now that he’s trying his best to gain some weight.”

“I understand, Mr. May.” Owen said to Philip, “I was also the smaller twin between my sister and I and mum and dad were quite worried about that when I was born.”

“You were the smaller twin?” Fiona asked Owen as she tried to stop herself from laughing at him.

“And also the cuter one!” Owen said, winking at Fiona afterwards.

“So cute that some members of the Conservative Party think you’re actually twelve.” Fiona told Owen, successfully sassing him off, as she always does.

Then, someone was knocking on the door, which prompted Theresa to tell her husband to go get the door for her. When Philip opened the door, it was no other than his brother, David, and his sister-in-law Byrony – and with them were two huge shopping bags which presumably contain the baby clothes they’ve been raving about buying for the twins six months back.

“Philip!” David said, giving his older brother a hug, “Glad to see you and Theresa, and most importantly the twins!”

“Hey, how about me!” Hilda said from the couch where she nested, pouting at her uncle.

“Of course, your Aunt Byrony and I haven’t forgotten about you, sweetie!” David said as he made his way to the couch where Hilda is, “I’m glad to see you too!”

“You know what, we have something for you.” Byrony said, picking something up from one of the shopping bags she is carrying, “Your mummy and daddy said that you love teddy bears, so your Uncle David and I got you this one.”

Byrony then handed Hilda a teddy bear which was light brown in colour. The teddy bear also had a pink floral dress on. Hilda was very delighted with the present that her Aunt and Uncle had given her.

“What do you think?” David asked Hilda.

“This is adorable!” Hilda said with joy, “Thank you Uncle David and Aunt Byrony!”

“Anything for you, little one.” Byrony said as she ruffled Hilda’s hair.

David and Byrony then proceeded to walk towards the crib where Olivia and Oliver laid together. The two could not help but notice how adorable the twins are as Olivia cuddled Oliver – which she has been doing for hours, save for those times that one or the both of them needed to be fed or changed.

“We’ve got you some presents!” Byrony told the twins in a soft voice as she and David raised the shopping bags that they are carrying.

“I’m sure Olivia and Oliver will love your gifts.” Theresa told David and Byrony, “I appreciate that the both of you took the time to visit me today. I haven’t got much visitors except for those two.” She added, pointing afterwards towards Fiona and Owen who were now sharing the couch with Hilda.

“Isn’t that your former SpAd and isn’t that bloke with her that Labourite commentator from The Guardian?” David asked as he eyed on Fiona and Owen.

“Hey, I have a name!” Owen told David, who was then elbowed by Fiona.

“You’re Owen Jones, right?” David asked Owen.

“I’m glad you know who I am!” Owen told Daivd, “Pleased to meet you, Philip May’s brother.” Then he extended his hand to David, waiting for a handshake.

“That’s David May to you, lad.” David said as he shook Owen’s hand. He took notice of how feisty Owen can get at times and he realized that this must have been the reason why the equally feisty Fiona Hill would want to be with him.

“Oh nice, my brother’s getting along with our Labourite guest now.” Philip quipped as he laughed at both her brother and Owen, who were now having small talk.

Then, David and Byrony brought their attention back to Olivia and Oliver. At this point, Olivia decided to move closer towards her brother, in order to keep him warmer – that, along with the blanket that they share together.

“Oliver sure did take after you, Philip.” David told his older brother, “I mean of us four siblings, you’re the one with the lowest birth weight and you’re short.”

“Listen David,” Philip told his younger brother, “I may have the lowest birth weight among us siblings but remember that I turned out to be taller than you anyway!”

“Olivia’s going to be taller than Oliver when they both grow up, I’m sure.” Byrony said, joining the light-hearted banter between the two siblings.

“Aunt Byrony and Uncle David are right! Olivia is going to grow tall!” Hilda quipped.

“You’re all just mocking my height now, aren’t you three?” Philip said, asking his daughter, his older brother and his sister-in-law.

“You may be short but you’re adorable, love.” Theresa reminded her husband, “And that means that both Olivia and Oliver take after you in terms of being adorable!”

“Well you’re adorable as well, love.” Philip told his wife, “So our babies have taken after us in terms of being adorable!”

“No one does being adorable better than Philip and I after all!” Theresa told David and Byrony.

“Well, we figured that out,” Byrony said, “I mean Hilda has grown up to be adorable, just like you both – and I’m sure it’s the same for Olivia and Oliver.”

“In other words, you two win.” David said, conceding to his brother and his sister-in-law.

“I’m on the winning side now!” Hilda said to her Aunt and Uncle, who playfully stared at her for switching to the “other side” at the last minute.

Then, all of a sudden, Olivia and Oliver started to coo – which got the attention of not only Theresa and Philip, but of Hilda, Fiona, Owen, David and Byrony as well. This resulted to Hilda, Fiona and Owen standing up and joining David and Byrony as they gathered themselves along the shared crib.

“Aww! How cute!” Everyone in the room said in unison as they looked at Olivia and Oliver.

In that moment, Olivia and Oliver were surrounded by love – coming from family and their family’s friends. No doubt that the two babies would grow up to be supported by people who love them dearly – from their parents, to their older sister, to their aunt, uncle and their cousins and all the way to their family friends such as Fiona and Owen who have known them and loved them even before they were born.

Theresa and Philip could not ask for a moment better than this, and moments like this are one of the reasons why they are forever thankful of God giving them the chance to have their own family.


	77. The Twins' First Day at Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and the twins are finally home after spending the weekend and a Monday at the hospital. When they head home, the family's pets meet the new additions to the family for the first time.

_May 12, 2020 – Maidenhead_

Marshmallow started walking on the couch, wondering why a pair of tiny hairless humans were suddenly sharing the couch (which she had to herself for the entire weekend) with her. The Scottish straight kitten who was not so small anymore started to go closer to one of the babies, putting her paw on the hand of the baby she has gotten near to.

“Those are the new members of this family, Marshmallow.” Theresa said as she observed the cat who was trying to get to know Olivia, the baby whose hands is being touched by her paw, “Meet Olivia and Oliver.”

Marshmallow responded at what Theresa said by purring at Olivia, who responded by extending her hand to the cat’s face and slightly pinching it. Marshmallow then moved on to climbing into the baby carrier of that said baby, then went on to smell Olivia’s head.

“Marshmallow, you look so funny!” Hilda remarked as she saw her pet cat smell her younger sister’s head.

Marshmallow then moved towards Oliver, curling up right next to him after she had entered his baby carrier. Like what she did earlier in Olivia’s carrier, she also started to purr now that she is inside Oliver’s carrier.

“I think that’s Marshmallow’s way of welcoming Oliver and Olivia.” Philip remarked as he watched Marshmallow settle in Oliver’s carrier.

Theresa and Hilda could not help but laugh at what Philip said – of all the things Marshmallow could do to welcome the new humans in the family, one of the things she does is to climb into their carriers. Marshmallow, not wanting to stop being adorable, decided to touch Oliver’s cheek with her paw. Oliver responded by putting his hand on top of the cat’s head.

“Marshmallow’s probably going to smell Oliver’s head next.” Theresa said as she observed the interaction between the cat and her baby boy. In fact, Theresa is right – Marshmallow then moved on to smelling Oliver’s head, just like what she did with Olivia’s.

Theresa had just been discharged from the hospital, after she was given the clearance by Dr. Campbell to go home. Oliver and Olivia also got to go home together with her as well, after Oliver successfully met the five-pound mark for his weight.

“Love, isn’t this adorable?” Philip asked Theresa as he marveled on the sight before him – of his and his wife’s children being adorable along with their pet cat, “We’ve been waiting for this moment for almost forty years.”

“It’s adorable and definitely worth the wait!” Theresa told her husband, “I never thought we would witness this and yet here we are – in our lovely home with our children and two adorable critters.”

Besides Marshmallow, Chloe, the Chocolate Labrador, is also present in the living room. Unlike Marshmallow, she preferred to lie down on the floor and keep a close eye on the children.

“This reminds me of the day that Freddie and Molly were taken home from the hospital.” Owen said as he leaned against the wall of the living room, “Except there was no dog.”

“Let me guess, they were being swarmed by cats?” Fiona asked Owen.

“That’s exactly what happened.” Owen told Fiona as he recalled the moment that he witnessed his sister and her husband’s pet cats swarming on their twin babies.

Fiona and Owen had been a constant fixture in the May household since the last weekend – and Theresa and Philip didn’t mind Fiona bringing her boyfriend with her, they figured out that if Fiona and Owen were serious about the relationship they’re having, then they’d better have more exposure to the responsibilities that would await them once they’ve decided to consider marriage. After all, Fiona was also like a daughter to both Theresa and Philip, and that very much earned her (and to an extent, her boyfriend) the privilege of being in their inner circle.

Then, the babies started to cry and Theresa carefully picked them both up from the carrier. Then she decided to check whether the babies were hungry, or whether they needed to be changed, or whether they just needed to be cuddled.

Then, she said, “Well, looks like the babies are hungry. Let me just feed them, alright?”

“Alright.” Philip said, “Is there anything that I can do to help while you feed them?”

“You can return the babies’ carriers to the nursery.” Theresa told her husband, “And after that, we’ll watch a movie.”

“Got it, boss.” Philip said in response.

“Can I go with you, mummy?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Of course, but makes sure not to be noisy.” Theresa told her daughter, “The babies would fall asleep after they eat and we wouldn’t want them to be disturbed from their sleep now, would we?”

“Okay mummy.” Hilda said.

Philip then made his way to the nursery to put away the baby carriers while Theresa (who is joined by Hilda) then made her way to their bedroom to feed the babies.

* * *

Theresa rubbed small circles on the backs of her babies as they latched on her. She noticed that the twins had huge appetites, which is a good sign. It means that they are generally healthy.

“Mummy, does it hurt when you feed the babies?” Hilda asked her mother.

“It doesn’t.” Theresa told Hilda, “Because all the babies have are gums at this moments. They don’t have teeth yet.”

“Will you still feed them like that when they start having teeth?” Hilda asked her mother, concerned that the babies would make it hard for their mother to feed them in the manner that she is currently feeding them once they already have teeth.

“As long as they’ll need milk from mummy, then I’ll still feed them this way.” Theresa told her daughter, “Because this is the best and the healthiest way to feed a baby.”

“Was this how I ate as a baby?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Well, you had to drink milk from a bottle.” Theresa told her daughter.

“But I didn’t have teeth when I was a baby, right?” Hilda asked, “Then how can I drink from a bottle.”

“Well, the bottle that you drank milk from is specially made for babies,” Theresa explained, “So when you are being fed with it, it’s like how your brother and sister are being fed right now.”

“So I didn’t drink from a bottle like those milk bottles in the refrigerator?” Hilda asked, marveling at the fact that there are actually bottles that babies can drink from, and that not all bottles are like the milk bottles that they buy from Waitrose.

“Of course not, sweetie.” Theresa said, “Those bottles aren’t meant for babies to drink from. Those are meant for kids and adults – who are bigger than babies.”

Then, Theresa finished feeding the twins and she proceeded to set the babies down on the bed, adjusting her blouse properly afterwards. When she finished with that, she carried the babies together and this time, assisted in burping them by rubbing their backs in a vertical manner.

“Mummy, why do you always do that to the babies whenever you finish feeding them?” Hilda asked, referring to Theresa helping the babies with their burping.

“Because babies need help in burping.” Theresa explained, “If you don’t help them burp, they’ll have an upset tummy.”

“So they don’t burp by themselves?” Hilda asked. She knows that people can burp by themselves – she can burp by herself, Andrew can burp by himself, her mummy and daddy burp by themselves, and so do her Uncle David and Aunt Byrony, and her Aunt Fiona and Uncle Owen.

“Yes, babies don’t burp by themselves yet.” Theresa said, “Eventually, they’ll learn how to. In a few months’ time, they will be able to burp by themselves already.”

“Can I hold the babies after you burp them?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Of course sweetie, you can.” Theresa told her daughter.

Theresa then delivered her promise to her older daughter, allowing her to hold the babies after they had finished burping.  Now, it was time for them to return to the living room.

* * *

The Mays spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room, watching a David Attenborough documentary. Theresa and Philip specifically chose to watch the documentary because of the modulated volume that David Attenborough’s documentary tend to have – one that allows them to hear clearly what is being said, and at the same time, the babies could still stay asleep.

“You know, I’m really over the moon with this whole having new babies thing.” Philip told Theresa.

“I am as well, love.” Theresa told her husband, “Imagine that, we now have these cute little babies who share equal parts of us – and, we have one of each too – a boy and a girl!”

“Moreover, Hilda is very happy about her younger siblings.” Philip told Theresa. Of course, Philip and Theresa could not forget the baby that started it all for them – the baby that they first welcomed into their family four years ago.

“And I am glad to hear that,” Theresa said, “I’m glad that she is not jealous about having younger siblings. In fact, she has been doing her big sister duties with excitement.”

“I could not ask for anything better than this!” Philip told Theresa, holding her hand afterwards.

“A happy family, we really deserve it!” Theresa told Philip with a smile as they both looked at the baby that was on each of their arms – Olivia on her mother’s arms and Oliver on his father’s.

The babies then cooed in unison to their parents, which led not only their parents, but also their older sister to look at their adorable faces with a smile. Those babies never ceased to bring joy to their family!


	78. The First Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prime Minister Theresa May has been receiving visitors since going home from the hospital after the birth of Olivia and Oliver. Among them is the First Minister of Scotland and her family, who are excited and overjoyed to see the twins for the first time.

_May 15, 2020 – Maidenhead_

Since Theresa had been allowed to go home from the hospital, there were days that she had visitors. Those who had already visited her included Hilda’s piano teacher, Mrs. Wilson, as well as her husband, and the Deputy Prime Minister (who is currently standing in as Prime Minister), Amber Rudd.

This day’s visitor is the First Minister of Scotland, her husband and their son, Andrew. Nicola Sturgeon had surprised both Theresa and Philip the day before by telling them that she and her family were visiting them on the next day.

And that is how Hilda and Andrew found themselves trying to carry Olivia and Oliver by themselves as the adults in the room engaged in a conversation.

“This baby is sae heavy!” Andrew said as he mustered all his strength to hold on to Oliver, who was squirming in his arms.

“Olivia is heavier!” was Hilda’s response to Andrew. Unlike Andrew, she didn’t have to deal with a baby who squirmed in her arms.

Surprisingly enough, Hilda understood what Andrew told her despite the fact that he did not only speak in an accent different from hers, but that he is also using Scottish slang.

“Mummy makes carryin a baby leuk sae easy!” Andrew told Hilda, recalling those times when he accompanied his mum when she went canvassing and she would carry the baby of a voter or two.

“That’s because our mummies are strong enough to carry a baby!” Hilda told Andrew as she continued holding on to Olivia.

Nicola was amused at the sight that happened before her – Hilda and Andrew carrying a baby each. It was like that time in her childhood when her younger sister was born and she got to carry her when her mother had gotten home from the hospital.

“Isnae thon adorable?” Nicola told her husband, Peter as she pointed out to him Hilda and Andrew carrying a baby each.

“Looks like we neit tae feit Andrew more protein!” was Peter’s remark. Andrew would need more protein to have muscles strong enough to carry a baby more easily, after all.

“We're raisin a child, no a bodybuilder!” Nicola responded to her husband with a laugh.

“A wis juist joking, love.” Peter said, giggling afterwards.

“Our twins seem to get along with your son pretty well.” Theresa told Nicola.

“We Scots are known to be friendly, after all.” Nicola said with a smile.

“Perhaps you can show that side of Scotland by not starting another independence referendum.” Theresa told Nicola.

“My son may be friends with your children,” Nicola said, “But A'm still fichtin for Scottish Independence.” She added with a laugh afterwards.

“If you do that your son wouldn’t be able to see Olivia and Oliver more often, you know.” Theresa said, casting a knowing glare on the Scottish First Minister afterwards.

“She’s right,” Philip told Nicola, “And Andrew’s not going to like it if his mummy stops him from seeing his new friends.”

“You can’t sway me that easily, unionists!” Nicola said, engaging in playful banter with the Prime Minister and her husband.

“Who said we would give up that easily to convince you to let Scotland stay in the UK, anyway?” Theresa said, getting into the banter as well.

“We’d like to see you two try!” Peter told Theresa and Philip, joining the banter as well.

“One thing for sure, we’ll get Scotland to stay in the UK!” Philip told Peter and Nicola, engaging in the banter that the First Minister of Scotland had started.

“Our side won in 2015 and it surely will win the next time you call an independence referendum.” Theresa told both Peter and Nicola.

Then, Theresa and Philip high-fived, knowing that they were winning the banter against Nicola and Peter.

Meanwhile, Hilda and Andrew were now squeezing the cheeks of the babies that they were holding and giggling as they did so.

“Look at this squishy!” Hilda said as she squeezed Olivia’s cheeks, “Isn’t she squishy?”

“A'v got a squishy baby ower here!” Andrew said, mimicking Hilda by squeezing Oliver’s cheeks, “He's sae squishy!”

Olivia then started cooing at her older sister, as if to tell her that she can stop squeezing her cheeks now. Oliver did the same, cooing at Andrew as well, as if to tell him that he can stop squeezing his cheeks now. Both babies also started to reach out for the faces of the older children who held them.

“Looks like they want to squeeze our faces now!” Hilda remarked as she looked at her younger sister, who is trying to reach for her cheeks.

“Oh na baby, A'm no squishy like ye!” Andrew told Oliver as the said baby tried to squeeze his cheek too.

Then, as if on cue, Olivia pinched Hilda’s cheek while Oliver did the same to Andrew’s. The two babies then cooed at Hilda and Andrew, as if to tell them that there’s no hard feelings between them.

“Oliver pinchit ma cheek!” Andrew said out loud, alerting both his mum and his dad.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean it.” Nicola told her son in an assuring tone, “Babies just like to grasp whatever is in their way, you know - and your cheek happens to be in Oliver's way."

“Olivia pinched my cheek too!” Hilda said out loud, alerting both her mum and her dad.

“Olivia didn’t mean it, sweetie.” Theresa said, assuring her daughter, “She’s just learning how her hand works, and all babies do that.”

“I still love you, baby sister.” Hilda told Olivia, holding her hand afterwards.

“It’s okay, we’re still friends Oliver.” Andrew said, holding Oliver’s hand afterwards.

“You know, we should let Andrew visit here more often.” Nicola told Theresa and Philip, “It would help a lot for him to develop a closer bond with Hilda and her younger siblings. Don’t you agree?”

“We’re fine with that,” Theresa told Nicola, “As long as you let Philip and I know in advance so that we could prepare.”

“No worries, Prime Minister.” Nicola said, “I got that!”

As Theresa and Philip continued to talk to Nicola and Peter about balancing work and family life, Hilda and Andrew continued to play with Olivia and Oliver. Theresa and Philip, as well as Nicola and Peter, seeing their children happy, made them happy as well – and that mattered a lot for them. It is such a fun Friday for the Mays and the Sturgeons, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> This baby is sae heavy = This baby is so heavy  
> Mummy makes carryin a baby leuk sae easy! = Mummy makes carrying a baby look so easy!  
> Isnae thon adorable! = Isn't that adorable?  
> Looks like we neit tae feit Andrew more protein! = Looks like we need to feed Andrew more protein!  
> We're raisin a child, no a bodybuilder! = We're raising a child, not a bodybuilder!  
> A wis juist joking, love. = I was just joking, love.  
> But A'm still fichtin for Scottish Independence. = But I'm still fighting for Scottish Independence.  
> A'v got a squishy baby ower here! = I've got a squishy baby over here!  
> He's sae squishy! = He's so squishy!  
> Oh na Oliver, A'm no squishy like ye! = Oh no Oliver, I'm not squishy like you!  
> Oliver pinchit ma cheek! = Oliver pinched my cheek!


	79. A Visitor on a Saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the First Minister of Scotland and her family makes a visit to the Mays after the birth of the twins, this time, it is the Leader of the House of Commons who makes a visit to them, bringing with her gifts for the new bundles of joy, as well as affection for them.

_May 16, 2020 – Maidenhead_

“Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband, Philip, are pleased to announce the birth of their twin children, a daughter and a son, who were born last May 9, 2020.” The announcement on Olivia and Oliver’s birth that was published on that day’s issue of the Maidenhead Advertiser said.

Apart from an announcement in the Maidenhead Advertiser, the announcement was also posted on the Prime Minister’s social media accounts, as well as the 10 Downing Street social media accounts. Theresa and Philip decided not to announce the twins’ birth to the public until they’ve turned a week old, in order to give the entire family some quality time to adjust to life with the new bundles of joy.

Until the announcement was made, only a few people knew of the twins’ birth – namely their immediate relatives, Fiona and Owen, Amber, Nicola and her family, Ruth Davidson and her family, and the Leader of the House of Commons (who seemed to be the most excited about the twins, but is also yet to visit them).

Theresa and Philip were watching reruns of the Great British Bake Off while each twin slept on their chest, when all of a sudden, the doorbell rang. Fiona, who, along with her boyfriend, visited the Mays on that day, answered the door.

Behind that door was of course, someone that the Mays had been expecting since the birth of the twins.

“Oh, it’s you Mummy Dearest.” Fiona said in a sarcastic tone to the guest as she crossed her arms.

“That’s the Leader of the House of Commons to you, Nippy Sweetie.” The guest said, shooting a glare at her afterwards.

“For your information, I’m not the First Minister of Scotland.” Fiona said in reply, in reference to Nicola Sturgeon whose nickname is Nippy Sweetie.

“Boss, she won’t let me get through the door!” The guest shouted, alerting Theresa.

“Come on Fiona, let Andrea in.” Theresa said from the living room, “She means no harm.”

“We’ll see about that.” Fiona said to Andrea Leadsom with a glare, then to Theresa, she replied, “I just wanted to make sure that this woman wouldn’t try doing anything ridiculous while she’s here.”

“Well…” Andrea told Fiona.

“Mrs. May says that you can come inside.” Fiona told Andrea, showing her into the house. Then, she called out her boyfriend, saying, “Owen, show Andrea to the living room, and make sure she doesn’t try being rude to Theresa, or to her family, or I’ll personally throw her out of this house!”

“Got it, love!” Owen said, showing Andrea to the living room afterwards.

“Are you dating Fiona Hill?” Andrea asked Owen.

“Yeah.” Owen answered.

“Well, good luck getting kicked out of the Labour Party, lad.” Andrea told Owen, “Your party leader has a disliking for people who are friendly with us, Conservatives.”

“Love is love, Mrs. Leadsom.” Owen said with a smile, “And Jeremy Corbyn is not going to get in the way of the relationship I share with Fiona.”

“Well, I’m impressed that you’ve got such conviction there, lad.” Andrea told Owen, “Keep that up and you might just dethrone Jeremy Corbyn someday.”

“Well, I’m not really in the dethroning Jeremy Corbyn business,” Owen said, “That would be the job of the Blairites.”

Andrea then handed the shopping bag that she had with her to Owen. Then, Andrea entered the living room, where she found Theresa and her husband seated on the couch, with a baby on their chest each. This made her heart melt because nothing makes her more happy than seeing moments like that.

“Hello Andrea.” Theresa said with a smile, “We’ve been expecting you.”

“I apologize for not being able to visit earlier,” Andrea said, “I had to monitor the impending coup against Jeremy Corbyn. If it succeeds, some MPs from Change UK who were previously affiliated with Labour, are going to return to that said party.”

“Apology accepted, Andrea.” Theresa said with a smile, “Moving on, the twins have been waiting to see you.”

“Aunt Andrea!” Hilda said as she ran towards Andrea.

“And Hilda’s been waiting to see you too.” Theresa added.

“Hello Hilda!” Andrea said with a smile, “How’s my future Prime Minister?”

“I’m doing fine!” Hilda said with a smile, “Would you like to say hi to Olivia and Oliver too?”

“Most certainly!” Andrea said in an excited tone.

Then, Theresa and Philip both stood up and handed each baby in their arms over to Andrea, who was able to hold both babies with ease. Olivia and Oliver easily got along with her, as they remained still while Andrea carried them.

“You two are so adorable!” Andrea told the babies in a soft voice, “Not to mention that you’ve got such squishy cheeks!”

The babies cooed at what Andrea told them, and they proceeded to reach for her cheeks.

“You know what, I’ve got presents for the both of you.” Andrea said to the babies.

Again, the babies cooed at her. They are excited to find out what Andrea has in store for them.

Then, Andrea handed Olivia back to Theresa and Oliver back to Philip, and she proceeded to retrieve the shopping bag from Owen, whom she asked to carry the said item earlier on. Andrea then opened up the shopping bag, which contained two leopard print baby blankets, and an assortment of baby toys.

Theresa and Philip could not help but giggle a bit at one of the presents that Andrea has for the twins – the said presents being the leopard print baby blankets. They appreciated it nevertheless, as the love for leopard print things runs in their family after all.

“We appreciate your presents for our twins, really.” Theresa told Andrea, “And thank you for taking the time to visit us. We really appreciate that too!”

“I know what it feels like on your first few days with your new bundles of joy,” Andrea told Theresa, “Just a mum showing support for a fellow mum, after all.” She added with a smile. Theresa and Philip could not help at giggle at the last sentence she said, knowing that Andrea really took her penchant for giving emphasis on the advantage of motherhood into heart.

“Can I hold the twins again?” Andrea asked Theresa.

Then, Theresa looked at Olivia and asked, “Would you like to be held by Aunt Andrea again?”

Philip looked at Oliver as well and asked the same question that Theresa had asked Olivia.

Both Olivia and Oliver cooed in approval at the parent that asked them. This meant that Andrea could spend some time with the twins again. Carefully, Theresa and Philip handed over each twin in their arm to Andrea, who decided to dance lightly as she held both babies in her arms.

“You know, she can be a part-time nanny to the twins.” Fiona remarked as she watched Andrea dance lightly at the living room as she held the twins in her arms.

“Would she go Mary Poppins and start to sing to them too?” Owen asked.

“Well, she could do that.” Fiona commented, “I mean her singing voice is fine. She sometimes sings at the karaoke during parties.”

“I’m going to help your family protect you two.” Andrea said as she continued to carry the twins on her arms, “Because you two are such precious babies!”

“Hey, what about me?” Hilda asked Andrea, “Am I not precious, Aunt Andrea?”

“Of course you’re also precious!” Andrea told Hilda, “You were precious as a baby and you’re still precious now!”

Then, Andrea turned towards Theresa and Philip and asked, “Do you two mind if I could spend the rest of the day here?”

“We don’t mind at all.” Theresa and Philip said in unison.

“After all, our children could really use some quality time not just with us, their parents, and with Fiona and Owen, but with you as well.” Theresa told Andrea.

“They’ve been waiting for days to see you,” Philip told Andrea, “And they would be more than happy to have you spend the rest of the day here as well.”

“Thank you so much!” Andrea told both Theresa and Philip. She is very happy to be given the time to spend with the family of the Prime Minister, whom she and her own family has grown close to. The Mays were happy to have her spend the day with them as well.

The rest of the day was spent with the Mays (as well as Fiona and Owen) watching some movies and television shows, as well as playing games and appreciating the wonders of nature with their visitor for the day.


	80. The First Playdate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia and Oliver meet Harriet for the first time when her parents pay a visit to the Mays.

_May 18, 2020 – Maidenhead_

The Mays were expecting visitors, coming all the way from Islington. The Corbyns decided to pay a visit to them, a visit which they have been planning for quite some time. Hilda is particularly excited to see them because she has been wanting to see Harriet again.

When the Corbyns arrived, they brought with them a basket full of produce, straight from Jeremy’s allotment. There were also two jars of homemade jam – one whose flavor is orange marmalade, and another whose flavor is strawberry.

“My, look how much you’ve grown!” Theresa said, remarking on Harriet, Jeremy and Laura’s daughter, who has grown so much since she saw her five months ago.

All Harriet did was babble at what Theresa told her.

“We’ve been feeding her mashed potatoes and she seems to like it.” Jeremy went on to say, “Same with mashed squash.”

“Those were the first things we fed Hilda as well!” Theresa told Jeremy, “Mashed potatoes and mashed squash are always the best solid foods to feed to a baby who’s having solid food for the first time.”

“In a few months time, it will be these two who will be having their mashed potatoes and squash.” Philip said as he carried both Olivia and Oliver in his arms.

Then Harriet started babbling towards Olivia and Oliver.

“Oh, looks like Olivia and Oliver want to play with Harriet!” Hilda told her parents.

“Would you like to play with Olivia and Oliver?” Laura asked Harriet.

Harriet nodded at her mother.

“Looks like she wants to.” Laura told both Theresa and Philip.

Then, Theresa and Philip guided the Corbyns towards the living room, where there is a playpen. Theresa and Philip have decided on buying a playpen for the twins so that they could have some other place to stay in besides their crib during the daytime. After all, they could really use a lot of space that is safe for them to move around in.

“You can put Harriet down in the playpen,” Theresa told Laura, “The surface is soft so she should be alright.”

Laura then put Harriet down on the playpen. Then, Philip also put Olivia and Oliver down on the playpen. Within moments, both Olivia and Oliver have started to coo at Harriet, who responded by babbling at them both.

Theresa and Philip then watched in awe as their twins interacted with Harriet. The same goes for Jeremy and Laura who watched in awe as their daughter interacted with Olivia and Oliver.

As Harriet laid flat on the play pen, Olivia and Oliver started to reach out for her cheeks, squeezing them softly afterwards. Harriet then squeezed Oliver’s cheeks with her hand as well. Then, Harriet giggled when Oliver made a face at her afterwards.

Olivia then moved closer to Harriet, as with Oliver. Then the three babies went back to cooing and babbling at each other.

“Be careful Jeremy, your baby might say nothing but praises for the Conservative Party by the time she starts talking.” Theresa said, laughing afterwards, “After all, she’s getting along pretty well with Olivia and Oliver.”

“Or perhaps, Harriet has succeeded in convincing your twins that voting Labour is the way to go.” Jeremy said, trying to make an impressive comeback, which Theresa and Philip didn’t find to be impressing.

“Mummy, why does Uncle Jelly always think that his party is better?” Hilda asked her mother.

“Because he thinks he can become Prime Minister.” Theresa said, answering Hilda’s question.

“Daddy, will Uncle Jelly ever be Prime Minister?” Hilda asked her father.

“Only if he can actually convince people that he’ll make a good Prime Minister.” Philip said, answering Hilda’s question.

“Maybe if he makes the Labour Party less of a clique and more of an actual political party, then he can convince people that he’d make a good Prime Minister.” Laura added, referencing to the fact that Momentum, the group that backs Jeremy Corbyn, basically has a prominent role in the Party, as if everyone in the group are senior officials of the party too.

“Hey, I don’t approve of Labour becoming a mere clique!” Jeremy said, “Just because some people in Momentum think they are the authorities in the party, doesn’t mean that I condone it.”

“Well, say that to the Party members who are now mounting a confidence vote against you.” Laura said, “After all, the party is no better if it’s being run by Blairites either.”

“What are Blairites?” Hilda asked her Aunt Laura this time.

“They’re basically people who like Tony Blair, who used to be Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party.” Laura explained, “And they think your Uncle Jelly is a mean person.”

“That’s rude of them.” Hilda told her Aunt Laura.

“See, the lass knows that the Blairites are rude!” Jeremy pointed out.

“Nobody said they aren’t rude, Jeremy.” Philip replied.

“The Conservatives don’t like Blairites as much as you do,” Theresa went on, “Except of course, we’re the better ones among those who don’t side with the Blairites.”

“Well doesn’t Cameron side with the Blairites?” Laura asked.

“He’s an outlier, and should not have been counted.” Theresa replied, “He doesn’t speak for the party.”

Then when they had finished talking about politics, this time, Jeremy and Laura moved on to giving their gifts to Theresa and Philip for the twins. They got some paper bags from their car which contained free trade baby clothes, as well as free trade baby toys.

“We spent the entire weekend looking for these.” Laura said as Theresa and Philip took a look at the gifts.

“They don’t mass-produce these things so we had to buy as much as we can.” Jeremy explained, “Each gift is made with great effort and love and they will last for a long time.”

“I’ve noticed that with basically anything that comes from a free trade shop, or a small business.” Theresa said, “Which is why Philip and I make it a point to support small businesses, as well as businesses that don’t do fast fashion or anything similar to that.”

As Theresa and Philip and Jeremy and Laura talked, Hilda decided to play with the babies. Hilda tried to cuddle all three babies at the same time, which pretty much resulted to her cheeks being squeezed by them.

“They’re squeezing my cheeks!” Hilda said as Olivia, Oliver and Harriet squeezed different parts of Hilda’s cheeks.

Harriet merely babbled, as Olivia and Oliver cooed.

“Babies, don’t squeeze my cheeks so much.” Hilda asked the three babies.

Then, Harriet, Olivia and Oliver stopped.

“Thank you.” Hilda told the three babies, then she hugged them and said, “I love you three!”

“That’s so adorable, isn’t it!” Theresa remarked as she saw Hilda hugging the three babies in her arms.

“It definitely is!” Philip said in reply.

“I’m sure the four of them would make great friends.” Laura said.

“We should really arrange these visits more often.” Jeremy suggested.

“So that they’ll grow much closer to each other.” Laura added.

“That can be arranged, of course.” Theresa told both Jeremy and Laura with a smile, “Philip and I would be more than happy for you two to bring Harriet when you visit us again.”

“We would definitely be looking forward to it!” Philip said in approval.

The Mays and the Corbyns might come from different parties, but they do have more things in common than things that would set them apart, and that’s what made both families close to each other. The Corbyns stayed on for a few more hours at Maidenhead which gave Harriet more time to bond with Hilda and the twins. The next time they see each other is definitely something that both the Mays and Corbyns are looking forward to.


	81. Christening Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olivia and Oliver's christening is coming up and their parents, Theresa and Philip, ask a special favour from Fiona and Owen, who have become close friends of their family.

_May 29, 2020 – Maidenhead_

The twins’ christening is only a few weeks away and Theresa and Philip have been making important calls to those who are to be Olivia and Oliver’s godparents. Fortunately, those they’ve picked to become their grandparents so far have agreed to take up the role offered to them.

Fiona Hill and Owen Jones are once again visiting the Mays in their home in Maidenhead. Their frequent visits have been caused by the fact that they find Olivia and Oliver really adorable. When they weren’t visiting Olivia and Oliver, they were at Islington, visiting Harriet, whom they also find to be really adorable.

“Hello there, little fella!” Owen said as he carried Oliver in his arms, “Uncle Owen is here to see you again.”

Oliver simply cooed at Owen, reaching for his nose afterwards.

“I know, I’ve got a tall nose,” Owen told the infant, “But so will you, because your mummy and daddy have tall noses too!”

What Owen said caused Fiona to giggle. Owen always had this penchant to drop a funny remark or two.

“Hello there, little lass!” Fiona said in a sing-song voice to Olivia, whom she is carrying in her arms, “You’re as cute as a button, aren’t you?”

Olivia simply cooed at Fiona and after that, she smiled at her.

“See, you are as cute as a button!” Fiona told the infant, giggling afterwards.

“Oliver’s cuter though!” Owen told Fiona, “Because he’s the smaller twin.”

“What do you think about that, Olivia?” Fiona asked the infant in her arms.

Then, Olivia sported what seemed to be a disapproving look on her face.

“I think Olivia disagrees with you, Owen.” Fiona said, glaring at her boyfriend.

“But isn’t it true?” Owen asked, “Like how I’m the cuter one between my sister and I because I’m the smaller twin.”

“Well, this house does not pit twins against each other, Owen.” Fiona reminded Owen, then she looked at Olivia and asked, “Isn’t that right, Olivia?”

Then, this time, Olivia sported what seemed to be an approving look on her face.

“See, she agrees with me.” Fiona told Owen, smiling victoriously at him afterwards.

“Well…” Owen told Oliver, “Your Aunt Fiona’s right, you and your sister are equally the cutest.”

Then, Oliver cooed at Owen, as if to agree with him.

Theresa, Philip and Hilda then walked into the living room, this is where Fiona and Owen are with the twins. They were previously at the kitchen, baking some pastries for their guests to eat. They had baked them some strawberry pie.

“Who would like some snacks?” Theresa asked.

“We do!” Fiona and Owen said in unison. They had been waiting for the free food since arriving earlier on. That was another thing they were always looking for when visiting the Mays, the free food.

* * *

The Mays and their guests, Fiona and Owen were now feasting on the strawberry pie. Hilda told Fiona and Owen about her recent piano lesson over snacks. Fiona and Owen could not help but be amused at what Hilda was talking to them about. The young lass really loved playing the piano.

“Mrs. Wilson said that if I do well enough, she could promote me to the next level!” Hilda cheerfully told Fiona and Owen.

“That’s great to hear, Hilda!” Fiona told Hilda, “I’m sure you’ll be promoted to the next level in the near future.”

“She also said if I become good enough, I could become a concert pianist, or a composer!” Hilda went on to say.

“Well you could become both.” Fiona told Hilda, “There are concert pianists who also compose their own music, you know.”

“Wow!” Hilda said in awe when she found out that someone can be both a concert pianist and a composer.

“Imagine that, Hilda May – Maidenhead’s very own concert pianist and composer!” Owen said.

“That’d be a good career for her someday,” Theresa commented, “She could be a concert pianist and a composer or have whatever career she’d decide on having.”

“I agree.” Philip added.

“Anyway, Philip and I have been talking while baking the strawberry pie,” Theresa went on to say, “We’ve thought about asking you both to become Olivia and Oliver’s godparents since their christening is coming up in a few weeks.” She added, telling Fiona and Owen.

“Us? Their grandparents?” Fiona said, pointing at herself and at Owen as she spoke.

“Yes, the both of you.” Theresa told her in response.

“But I’m a socialist!” Owen told both Theresa and Philip, mostly out of disbelief that they’d choose him to be a godfather to the twins, “And your babies are Cosnervatives!”

“Ed and Yvette are going to become their grandparents too.” Philip told Owen.

“Ed and Yvette as in Ed and Yvette from the Labour Party?” Owen asked, still not believing that Theresa and Philip would dare pick the two to become godparents to the twins. Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell being Hilda’s godparents is one thing, but this is completely another, because Labour is the direct rival of the Conservatives.

“Yes, Ed and Yvette as in Ed and Yvette from the Labour Party.” Philip responded to Owen.

Owen then faced Fiona, waiting for her to say something. He was expecting her to bail him and herself out of this. A cross-party couple standing in as godparents to babies whose parents belong to the same party, he was trying to figure out if that would actually work.

“Diane Abbott’s son has a godfather from the Conservative Party.” Fiona straight-up told Owen. Then, to Theresa and Philip, she said, “Owen and I would love to become Olivia and Oliver’s godparents!”

There was brief silence for a while, then Fiona asked Owen, “Isn’t that right, love?”

“Yeah, Fiona and I would really love to!” Owen said, responding to Fiona’s question.

“Yay!” Hilda said, clapping afterwards.

“Then it is settled!” Theresa told Fiona and Owen, “Once the invitations for the christening are out, the both of you will receive a copy.”

“Thank you, we’ll be looking forward to it!” Fiona told both Theresa and Philip in a cheerful tone.

“We totally will!” Owen added, in a cheerful tone as well.

Fiona and Owen then continued to enjoy the strawberry pie they were eating, asking for one slice after the other. Theresa, Philip and Hilda could not help but be glad that Fiona and Owen appreciated what they have prepared for them. More than that, they appreciate how the two made some time to pay them a visit and spend some quality time with Olivia and Oliver. After all, they will be their godparents and a strong bond between them will be there for the years to come.

 


	82. A Sunday of Celebrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip bring Olivia and Oliver to church for the first time for their christening.

_June 28, 2020 – St. Andrew’s Church, Sonning_

This is the first time for Olivia and Oliver to enter a church, as they will have their christening during the Sunday service. The christening is a low-key yet anticipating event. Unlike other public figures in the United Kingdom, the Mays chose not to invite the press to the christening, just like what they did during Hilda’s christening.

Theresa is clad in a pastel pink dress with long sleeves while Philip is clad in a pastel pink top and a pair of black trousers. In each of their arms is a baby, dressed in their christening gowns made of silk and adorned with embroidered lace. Olivia is on Theresa’s arms while Oliver is on Philip’s.

Hilda is also clad in a pastel pink dress, similar to her mother’s. Except that while her mother’s dress has an A-line form, hers has a bell-shaped form.

Those invited to the twins’ christening have already started to arrive – David and Byrony, who are also the uncle and aunt of the twins and Hilda, are there at the christening as visitors. They are already among Hilda’s godparents. Mrs. Wilson and her husband were present too, for they are among the twins’ godparents.

Coming all the way from London were Fiona Hill and Owen Jones, who are also godparents to the twins. It was pretty obvious that they were more than prepared for the event – they even walked into the church with gift bags that contain their presents for the twins.

“Fiona! Owen!” Theresa called out to the two, “Philip and I are glad that you two made it here!”

“We got here through the train,” Fiona went on to say, “Explains pretty much why we’ve entered the church with these gift bags while everyone else would be leaving them in their cars.”

“We’ll take care of those gift bags for you,” David said as he walked towards Fiona and Owen, “You can get them from our car when the christening is done.”

“Thanks!” Fiona and Owen told David in unison as they handed their gift bags over to David for safekeeping while the christening is taking place.

As Theresa and Philip, and everyone else, waited for the baptism service to begin, Hilda sat between her parents, looking at her baby siblings who are in the arms of each of their parents. She looked at the face of each of her siblings, noting how cute they look. It’s such an adorable sight to see for the childrens’ parents, who describe their children as their pride and joy.

“Time surely flies fast!” Theresa told Olivia in a soft voice, “You and your brother were just tiny babies in my tummy ten months ago, and now, you two are going to have your christening.”

Olivia cooed at her mother, biting her closed fist with her still-toothless mouth afterwards.

“The next thing you’ll know, these two will be trotting around the church grounds as we make our way to church on a Sunday morning!” Philip told Theresa as he held Oliver in his arms.

“And Hilda here will be helping us keep an eye on them,” Theresa said, “To make sure that they don’t fall on the ground and get hurt while they walk with us.”

“Is that what big sisters do?” Hilda asked, pertaining to what her mother has just said.

“Yes, that’s what big sisters do.” Theresa responded to her daughter, “Big sisters help their mummies and daddies look after their younger siblings.”

After a few moments of waiting, the Sunday service in which the twins’ baptism is to take place has finally started.

* * *

Besides Olivia and Oliver, there were also other babies who are to be baptized, as well as some children and a few adults. Mostly, those who were about to be baptized are babies. The presentation of those to be baptized were done by age and by seating arrangement, with the adults and older children to be baptized being presented first, followed by the infants and younger children.

As there were only a few adults and some older children who were presented for baptism, it didn’t take so much time before it was time for the infants and younger children to be presented for baptism to be called.

“I present Patricia Eleanor to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.” A couple said during the presentation, along with the godparents of their daughter.

The said couple were seated in the row in front of where the Mays are seated along with the godparents of the twins. After the couple in the row in front of them presented their child, the couple next to them did the same.

“I present Anthony John and Margaret Ruth to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.” Another couple said during the presentation, along with the godparents of their children.

Theresa and Philip were in awe upon finding out that they aren’t the only ones in the congregation with twin babies. They figured out that those two babies would soon be acquainted to their own babies once they’re old enough to join Sunday school.

A few more couples presented their children for baptism after the couple who presented their twin infants.

Until it was finally Theresa and Philip’s turn to present their twins for baptism.

Theresa and Philip then stood up, along with the godparents to the twins and Hilda, in order to present the twins for baptism.

“I present Olivia Zaidee Joy and Oliver Hubert John to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.” Theresa and Philip said, along with the godparents of the twins.

After presenting the twins, Theresa and Philip, and the godparents of the twins remained standing, as well as Hilda, who wanted to see how a baptism is done.

Then, the Baptismal Covenant, the Prayers for the Candidates, the Thanksgiving over the Water and the Consecration of the Chrism followed.

That, of course, was followed by the Baptism itself which involved the Vicar going around to baptize those who have been presented for the baptism. As with the order observed during the presentation, the Vicar started with baptizing the adults, the older children, the younger children and finally, the infants.

The Vicar then arrived at where the Mays and the godparents of Olivia and Oliver stood, and started to baptize the twins.

“Name this child” The Vicar went on to say

“Olivia Zaidee Joy,” Theresa, along with the twins’ godparents, told the Vicar as she presented Olivia to him.

“and Oliver Hubert John,” Philip, along with the twins’ godparents, said as he presented Oliver to him.

The Vicar then poured holy water on Olivia, then on Oliver as he said, “I baptize thee in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” to each of them.

Theresa and Philip could not help but feel immense happiness as they watched their twins have their baptism. As devout Christians, it is very important for them to impart their faith to their children, and having them baptized is part of the process.

The Vicar went on to say, “We receive these Children into the congregation of Christ's flock; and do sign them with the sign of the Cross, in token that hereafter they shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto their life's end. Amen.”

The Vicar then went on to put his hand on the head of each twin, marking their forehead with the sign of the cross using the chrism, and as he did that, he said to each of them, “Thou art sealed by the Holy Ghost in Baptism and marked as Christ's own for ever. Amen.”

After Olivia and Oliver had been baptized, the Vicar went on to continue baptizing the other infants in the congregation who are to be baptized. Then when he finished, he prayed over those who have just been baptized, did the Thanksgiving over the Water for the second time and welcomed those who have been newly baptized into the congregation. This was then followed by the rest of the Sunday service.

* * *

After the Sunday service, the Mays, the twins’ godparents and the guests that the family has invited to the christening made their way out of the church. As they are making their way to the church grounds, Theresa and Philip were approached by the couple who are the parents of the other set of twins who were baptized earlier on.

“I’m Primrose Williams. My husband and I would just like to congratulate you both on the baptism of your twins.” The mother of the other set of twins told both Theresa and Philip.

“Thank you!” Theresa told Primrose, “My husband and I like to congratulate you and your husband for the same as well.”

“By the way, you’ve got such adorable twins!” Primrose told Theresa, “I’m sure our dear Tony and Maggie would be happy to make friends with them soon!”

“I’m sure they will.” Theresa told Primrose with a smile, “Olivia and Oliver would definitely love to have some friends.”

“It is nice speaking to you, Prime Minister.” Primrose told Theresa, “I hope the rest of your day is good!”

“It’s nice speaking to you too, Mrs. Williams.” Theresa told Primrose in response, “And I hope the rest of your day is good as well!”

Then, the Mays took their separate mays from the Williams, with each family heading to their respective homes to celebrate the baptism of their children.

* * *

A two-layered Christening cake stood on top of the table in the Mays’ dining room. The cake was a specially-made gluten free cake whose flavor is chocolate with white fondant icing, and silver accents on it.

To start the ball rolling, Theresa and Philip made a slice each on the cake, in behalf of each twin. After which, they invited the godparents of the twins as well as their guests to have their slices of cake. Before they sliced the christening cake, they had lunch, courtesy of the godparents of the twins who volunteered to bring some food to the post-christening lunch to save Theresa and Philip the trouble of having to prepare the food themselves.

“This cake is so delicious!” Fiona said as she had her first few bites of her slice of the christening cake, “It’s the best I’ve had in such a long time!”

“Finally, some real cake!” Owen said, as he had his first few bites of his slice of the christening cake as well.

“Those two live on cakes sold in supermarkets, don’t they?” David asked his older brother, Philip.

“Definitely!” Philip told his younger brother in response, “As with the food they eat, they don’t really cook.”

“Well that could explain why those two are always with your family,” David said, “Only you and Theresa could ever offer them real food.”

“For your information, we didn’t sign up for this for the free food!” Owen told David while having a mouthful of cake, “We love Olivia and Oliver dearly, you know!”

“I didn’t say you and your girlfriend decided to be godparents to the twins for free food!” David said defensively.

“Mummy, can I have another slice? Pretty please?” Hilda asked her mother, pulling an adorable face on her.

“You know, if you have too much cake, it won’t be good for you.” Theresa told her daughter.

“How about half a slice?” Hilda said, negotiating with her mother.

“Only half a slice.” Theresa told her daughter firmly, giving her half a slice of the christening cake afterwards.

Hilda then happily started to partake of the half-slice of the christening cake given to her by her mother. Before that, she already had a full slice. The fact that she asked for another slice (which later became half of a slice) after consuming her first slice proves that she truly has a sweet tooth. That of course, is something that Theresa and Philip find both endearing and concerning – endearing because their daughter has taken after them for their love of sweets, and concerning because having too much sweets isn’t healthy, especially for a growing child.

Theresa then walked up to Philip, who was holding both Olivia and Oliver, then proceeded to ask him as they both watched Hilda eat her half-slice of cake, “Do you think Olivia and Oliver will also grow up having a sweet tooth?”

“I’m sure they will,” Philip said, “After all, it runs in our family.”

“We have to teach them both to consume sweets with moderation,” Theresa told her husband, “We wouldn’t want any of our children to end up unhealthy now, would we?” she added, looking towards Olivia and Oliver.

“Of course,” Philip said, “We’ll make sure Olivia and Oliver only consume sweets with moderation, just like what we taught their older sister.”

Philip then handed Olivia over to Theresa so that now, both he and she were holding one baby each.

“You know, I am truly excited for the next few months of our twins’ lives.” Philip told Theresa.

“I as well.” Theresa said with a smile.

“I am looking forward for the time when our twins can finally start crawling.” Philip said.

“And besides that, I’m also looking forward for the time when they can finally start having solid food,” Theresa told her husband, “Imagine all the dishes we could introduce to them!”

“We could start by introducing them to mashed potatoes!” Philip suggested, “That worked really well with Hilda.”

“And she liked her mashed potatoes with homemade gravy too!” Theresa added, “I’m sure our dear Olivia and Oliver would enjoy that too!”

Then, it was time to open the Christening gifts that were given to the twins. The Wilsons gave the twins silver bracelets, while Fiona and Owen gave them a lot of clothes (which pretty much explains why they had a lot of gift bags with them earlier on), and David and Byrony decided to give them silver necklaces. Other gifts the twins received were books and toys.

“We are very grateful that you made it to our twins Christening,” Theresa told the godparents of the twins as well as the guests to the Christening, “And we are very grateful for the presents you have given them. With that, we hope that you will be with us along the way as the twins grow up.”

“If you’d like to pay a visit to us, feel free to let us know,” Philip told the godparents of the twins as well as the guests to the Christening, “We, especially the twins, would really appreciate visits from all of you.”

“Speaking of visits,” Fiona said, “Can Owen and I come over next weekend?”

“Of course!” Theresa and Philip told her.

“Byrony and I would like to make a visit on the weekend after that too.” David told both Theresa and Philip.

“We’ll surely be looking forward to it!” Philip told his younger brother.

“And, my husband and I will make it a point to visit the twins weekly,” Mrs. Wilson said, “Since we’re just neighbors and I’m here every week anyway for Hilda’s piano lessons.”

“We’ll surely be looking forward to it too!” Theresa told Mrs. Wilson.

With Olivia and Oliver being finally welcomed into the Christian world, Theresa and Philip are looking forward to the next Sunday service where they can finally go to church, with all the members of the family being baptized already. After all, they are firm believers of the saying that a family that prays together, stays together.


	83. A Dog and a Recipe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip tell Hilda and her siblings a bedtime story about the first dog that they had before she and her siblings were born. Along with that, Theresa and Philip also tell Hilda about a recipe scrapbook they got from her paternal grandmother.

_July 7, 2020 – Maidenhead_

It’s always been a routine since Olivia and Oliver were brought home for their parents to talk to them and tell them stories before bedtime. Philip has Oliver laying down on his stomach on top of his chest, while Theresa has Olivia laying down on her in the same manner. After all, the twins always liked to be very close to the parent they are with.

“Olivia sweetie, you always get even more adorable as the days pass by!” Theresa said as she stroked Olivia’s cheek softly with her finger, “You never fail to make mummy and daddy smile!”

“Oliver, you get even more adorable as the days pass by just like your sister too!” Philip said as he stroked Oliver’s cheek softly with his finger as well, “Daddy and mummy always tend to smile when they see you!”

As Theresa and Philip talked to the babies, Hilda made her way into her parents’ bedroom. In doing so, she made sure that she walked into the room undetected by walking on tiptoes and staying as quiet as possible. Then, when she completed that task, she went to the side of the bed where her mother was and carefully held her hand.

“Looks like we’ve got another adorable person in this room!” Theresa announced as she caught her oldest daughter’s attention.

“Can I spend the night here, mummy and daddy?” Hilda asked both of her parents. While she has spent many of her nights in her own bedroom, she still occasionally likes to spend the night with her parents.

“Your mummy and I are fine with that,” Philip went on to say, “Now, we’ll just ask Olivia and Oliver if they’re fine with that too.”

“What do you think, Olivia and Oliver?” Theresa asked Olivia and Oliver.

The two babies responded by showing their toothless smiles to their mother and father.

“Looks like Olivia and Oliver are fine with it!” Philip told Hilda.

“Now, hop on right in!” Theresa said, patting the mattress of the bed.

Hilda quickly made the climb up to the bed and settled herself between her parents. She always likes it when she gets to sleep between her parents. Now, she likes it even more because she gets to sleep with her baby siblings too.

“Who wants to hear a bedtime story?” Philip asked everyone in the room.

“We do!” Theresa and Hilda said in unison.

“And my baby siblings too!” Hilda added.

“Well, this isn’t your ordinary bedtime story,” Philip went on to say, “In fact, this is something that actually happened.”

“I’d like to know what this story is about, love.” Theresa told her husband.

“Before you and your siblings were born, Hilda,” Philip went on, “Your mummy and I used to have a pet, which was a dog.”

“Wow! Really?” Hilda asked her father, curious to know what this dog that her parents used to have before she was born was like.

“Really.” Philip answered, “Back when your mummy was a Councillor in Merton, we came across this adorable looking dog. A Yorkshire Terrier. The dog had been walking around our street for days.”

“Your daddy and I thought that it was just a dog that belonged to our neighbours,” Theresa added, “Except, none of our neighbours had such dog. We even tried asking people from the streets next to ours if the dog is theirs but none of them claimed the dog.”

“It turns out that the dog had been abandoned on our street for almost a week,” Philip said, “Your mummy and I could not stand seeing the dog being homeless any longer so we took the dog in and named her Jane.”

“Jane was such a loyal dog,” Theresa continued, “And she always liked to play catch and liked to eat the food that we’d cook up for her.”

“Your mummy and I entered Jane in dog shows a few times,” Philip went on, “And in those few times, she won twice.”

“All thanks to the dedication and care that your daddy and I put towards her.” Theresa said.

“How long did Jane stay with you and daddy?” Hilda asked her mother.

“She stayed with us up until I became a Member of Parliament, then it was your grandpa John and grandma Joy who took care of her,” Theresa explained to Hilda, “Because they wanted to look after a dog after all their children moved out of their home, and your daddy and I were glad to entrust Jane to them because having the dog helped them cope up with the loneliness that comes with not having most of the family back at home.”

“Did grandpa John and grandma Joy take good care of Jane?” Hilda asked her father.

“They surely did!” Philip told Hilda, “Your grandpa John and grandma Joy loved Jane dearly. In fact, your grandma Joy always gave her freshly baked dog treats.”

“Why don’t we do the same with Chloe?” Hilda asked. For the first time, Hilda knew that it is actually possible for someone to make dog treats at home, rather than just buying them from Waitrose, like what her parents always do during their grocery trips.

“You know what,” Theresa said, “That’s actually a great idea!”

“Freshly baked dog treats for Chloe?” Philip asked.

“Yes!” Theresa responded.

“I think mum’s dog treats recipe is somewhere in the storage room,” Philip told Theresa, “If we can find that, then one of these days, we can try baking some dog treats for Chloe. I’m sure she’ll love it!”

“Did grandma Joy have other recipes too?” Hilda asked her father.

“Actually, she’s got a lot,” Philip told his daughter, “In fact, when your mummy and I got married, her wedding gift to us was a scrapbook which contained her recipes.”

“Is it still here?” Hilda asked her father, referring to the scrapbook which contained his mother’s recipes.

“Of course, it’s still here!” Philip answered. The scrapbook with recipes from his mother was among the things that he and Theresa made sure, was always in their possession – from the time they moved into their first home, to the time they moved to Maidenhead, and up until they moved into 10 Downing Street.

“Can you and mummy cook something from the recipe scrapbook?” Hilda asked her father. She had always wanted to find out how the food that her grandma Joy tastes like, because based on the stories she’s heard before from her mummy and daddy, it seemed that grandma Joy always made delicious food.

“Of course!” Philip told Hilda, “What do you think, love?” he asked Theresa.

“We can make something from a recipe in that scrapbook when your Aunt Fiona and Uncle Owen come over next week,” Theresa told her husband, and then to Hilda, she asked, “Would that be alright for you?”

“Of course, mummy!” Hilda said in response.

“I’m excited about that!” Philip said, then, he told Theresa, “Because apart from mum, you love, are the only other person who gets the recipes from the scrapbook right!”

“That’s so sweet of you to say, love.” Theresa told her husband, who never ran out of nice things to tell her.

“Thank you, love!” Philip told Theresa with a smile.

Then, as if on cue, Olivia and Oliver started yawning, signifying that they need to get some sleep.

“Alright then, looks like this means its bedtime!” Theresa announced.

Then, the Mays said their bedtime prayers, with Hilda leading it, who went on to personalize the usual bedtime prayer by saying, “God, please take care of me, and mummy and daddy, and my baby brother and my baby sister. Please give us a good night’s sleep tonight. Amen.”

After the bedtime prayers, Theresa and Philip said their good nights to each other, and to their children. Hilda as well said her good nights to her parents and to her baby siblings. When that was done, the Mays started falling asleep, making the trip to dreamland, as they looked forward for another wonderful day ahead.


	84. Pasta and Irn Bru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mays, Fiona Hill and Owen Jones have an afternoon chat over the seafood pasta that Theresa and Philip had prepared and some Irn Bru.

_July 12, 2020 – Maidenhead_

Hilda walked into the kitchen to look for some snacks. She had been hungry after playing catch with Chloe and Marshmallow. As she walked inside, she noticed two familiar people seated in front of the refrigerator which has been opened, eating the food inside the refrigerator.

“I don’t believe a single word that Flora Gill says about the best pasta coming from that newly-opened Italian fusion restaurant near the House of Commons!” The male one among the two familiar people said.

“The best pasta in the United Kingdom comes from this very refrigerator!” The female one among the two familiar people added, “Even when the pasta here is a day old, it’s still tasty! That pasta that Flora is raving about could never surpass this!”

“Aunt Fiona, Uncle Owen!” Hilda called out to the two familiar people before her.

“Hilda!” Fiona and Owen said in unison as they turned around to see the Prime Minister’s daughter, who has just caught them eating from the refrigerator in her home.

“Why are you two eating our food?” Hilda asked the two lovebirds in a tone similar to when her mother would ask Nicola Sturgeon why she thinks another independence referendum is a good idea.

“You see Hilda,” Owen went on to explain, “This house has the best food in all of the United Kingdom.”

“Doesn’t the Buckingham Palace have the best food in the United Kingdom and not this house?” Hilda asked Owen, wanting to know if he truly likes the food in the refrigerator or if he is simply saying those things because Fiona is around – and him upsetting Fiona isn’t a delightful thing.

“Well yes, the Buckingham Palace has the best food in the United Kingdom,” Owen went on to say, “And so does this house.”

“So you like mummy and daddy’s cooking, then?” Hilda asked Owen once more, much to the amusement of Fiona.

“Well, yes of course.” Owen said with a smile. Besides not disappointing Fiona, not disappointing Hilda is also one thing that he is keen on doing. He knows what consequence would await him if he dare disappoints the Prime Minister’s daughter.

“Well…well,” Philip said as he entered the kitchen with Oliver in his arms, “Look what we’ve got here.”

“If it isn’t our favourite love birds,” Theresa added as she entered the kitchen with Olivia in her arms, “Enjoying the food in our refrigerator.”

“I told you we shouldn’t have gone on a refrigerator raid!” Owen told Fiona, realizing that the Prime Minister and her husband had just seen them eating straight from their refrigerator. Although Theresa and Philip gave them the permission to grab some food from the refrigerator, that didn’t necessarily mean that they could sit in front of the refrigerator as they eat the food that's in there.

“Owen!” Fiona said with a stern gaze to Owen.

“Now, we’ve got no problem with you both having some food from our refrigerator,” Theresa explained to both Fiona and Owen, “We just find it rather unexpected that the both of you decided to enjoy the food in there in the manner that you’re doing right now.”

“Well, besides us being hungry,” Fiona explained, “The weather’s also hot, so we decided to cool ourselves down by eating by the open refrigerator.”

“There’s Irn Bru inside the refrigerator,” Theresa told the two, “It should help you both in cooling down. Also, I’d appreciate it if you two closed the refrigerator after getting what you need in there. We don’t want our electricity bill shooting up now, do we?”

“Can I have some Irn Bru, mummy?” Hilda asked her mother. 

“Of course, sweetie.” Theresa told her daughter with a smile.

Then, Fiona and Owen decided to get the litre of Irn Bru from the refrigerator and they brought that, along with the food they’re eating, to the dining table at the dining room after shutting the refrigerator. Hilda and her parents followed them into the dining room.

The pasta that Fiona and Owen have been enjoying is the seafood pasta that Theresa and Philip made earlier that day, so the pasta isn’t a day old yet. However, the two had already eaten day old pasta before, coming from the Mays’ refrigerator both in Maidenhead and Downing Street – hence, the reason why they can say that even when the pasta that Theresa and Philip have made is already a day old, it still tastes better than all the other pasta they’ve had.

Philip then got some empty glasses from the kitchen and set them down in the dining room so that Fiona, Owen and Hilda could have their Irn Bru.

“Mummy, Uncle Owen say that you and daddy make the best pasta in all of the United Kingdom!” Hilda told her mother.

“Really, did he say that?” Theresa asked her daughter.

“Of course he did!” Hilda responded.

“It’s true.” Fiona told both Theresa and Hilda, “Owen and I agreed that you and your husband make the best pasta in all of the United Kingdom. It’s even way better than whatever pasta Flora Gill thinks of recommending to people.”

“For a food critic, Flora Gill sure doesn’t have the best taste when it comes to pasta.” Owen added.

“Come on, don’t be too harsh on Flora,” Theresa reminded Fiona and Owen, “She’s only starting to become a food critic. She’ll get to that point soon where her taste in pasta will be as good as ours, though none of us are food critics, of course.”

“Well she better step up, because even non-food critics can do her job better than her.” Fiona commented.

Theresa then poured Hilda a glass of Irn Bru, and Hilda happily drank the carbonated drink that her mother had just poured out for her. Meanwhile, Fiona and Owen poured each other a glass of Irn Bru and happily drank it as well.

“You know, this glass of Irn Bru reminds me of growing up in Scotland.” Owen mused as he had a sip of his glass of Irn Bru.

“Well of course it does!” Fiona told him, “Irn Bru comes from Scotland, English lad!”

“Is Scotland where all the Irn Bru comes from?” Hilda asked Fiona.

“Yes, Hilda.” Fiona answered Hilda, “All the Irn Bru comes from Scotland.”

“Does that mean Aunt Nicola has a lot of Irn Bru at home?” Hilda asked Fiona again, “Because she’s from Scotland!”

“Well yes, she probably has a lot of Irn Bru at home.” Fiona went on to explain, “But not all Scottish people have a lot of Irn Bru at home. But yes, we Scots enjoy having Irn Bru!”

“Mummy, can you ask Aunt Nicola to bring us a lot of Irn Bru the next time she comes over?” Hilda went on to ask her mother.

“I’ll see if she can bring us Irn Bru the next time she comes over.” Theresa told Hilda.

Hilda responded at her mother by cheering with glee. The young lass has after all, started to love the Scottish drink ever since she had her first glass of it.

“When are we going back to Scotland, mummy?” Hilda asked her mother. After all, she has been wanting to come back to Scotland for quite some time.

“When mummy goes back to work, we can go back to Scotland.” Theresa responded to her daughter. One of the first things she is going to do when she returns to work from her parental leave is to head to Scotland, where she’ll be having a meeting with the First Minister of Scotland and the Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament.

“I’m so excited!” Hilda told her mother with glee. Going to Scotland for her meant also seeing Andrew, Finn and Meredith. She had not seen them for quite some time, especially Finn and Meredith.

For the rest of the afternoon, Theresa, Philip and Hilda, as well as Fiona and Owen enjoyed the afternoon with some seafood pasta, Irn Bru as well as some snack items that the Mays have at home. It’s one way for them to be able to spend a lovely afternoon on a weekend during the summer, after all.


	85. The Surprise for the First Minister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa calls Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson to an emergency meeting just before her parental leave ends, after certain Members of the Scottish Parliament decide to renew the call for a second independence referendum in Scotland. However, the First Minister of Scotland has more than just a second independence referendum to deal with after getting a surprise just after the meeting ends.

_July 20, 2020 – Bute House, Edinburgh, Scotland_

Hilda and Andrew played Monopoly at the waiting room of the First Minister’s office. As the two played the game, Hilda’s father, Philip, kept an eye on them as he held Olivia and Oliver in his arms.

It is the day before Theresa comes back to work from her parental leave, however, she is already doing one of her official duties that arose from having to call an emergency meeting with the First Minister of Scotland, as well as the Leader of the Opposition in the Scottish Parliament.

The reason for the meeting being called being certain Members of the Scottish Parliament, including members of the party that’s currently forming the government in Scotland, creating a bill that would allow for a Second Independence Referendum to happen in Scotland.

“Hey! You haven’t paid me yet!” Hilda told Andrew after he rented the Regent Street property from her and tried to roll the dice again, “And it’s already my turn after yours!”

“Sorry!” Andrew said as he set down the dice that he was supposed to be rolling already.

“That will be £26!” Hilda said, waiting for Andrew to give him the payment afterwards.

Hilda had already caused the rental price of her Regent Street property to go up after putting up

Andrew then gave Hilda the amount that she asked for, leaving Andrew with only £5. Then, it was Hilda’s turn to roll the dice. When the dice stopped rolling, the side of the dice which faced upward showed five dots, which meant that Hilda has to move five places. This time, she landed on the Go box which meant that she is now £200 richer in the game.

“Ha! I’m almost a winner!” Hilda announced to Andrew, who does not only have £5 left, but has also lost three fourths of the properties that he had during the duration of the game.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Andrew called out, refusing to concede.

“Unlike you, I am actually good at this game!” Hilda told Andrew, starting a banter.

As Andrew and Hilda were about to engage in full scale banter, the door to the First Minister’s office opened. The Prime Minister then emerged from the door, followed by the Leader of the Opposition of the Scottish Parliament and then the First Minister who followed them behind.

“Oh look, Andrew and Hilda have been playing Monopoly!” Ruth Davidson, the Leader of the Opposition of the Scottish Parliament commented as she noticed the two children with the board game.

“I shouldn’t have left our Monopoly board here.” Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, told Ruth, “It’s probably made those two engage in mid-game banter.”

“Actually, they did engage in mid-game banter.” Philip, the Prime Minister’s husband said.

“Our Hilda is skilled at this game,” Theresa May, the Prime Minister told Nicola, “Surely she’s already winning.”

“I am winning!” Hilda piped up as Andrew pouted.

“It’s a good thing none of them has flipped the board yet,” Nicola went on to say, “When I played the game with Ruth and Kezia after we decided to unwind after First Minister’s Questions, Kezia almost flipped the board when she realized that she was losing.”

“We should really have another Monopoly get-together.” Ruth suggested to Nicola, “I’d like to see if Kezia has improved her skills at playing this game.”

Then suddenly, Nicola felt like she was about to lose balance, and to prop herself up, she decided to lean by the doorframe. By then, it was already too late as she passed out and ended up slumping against the doorframe.

“Somebody help Nicola!” Ruth shouted.

“I’m too small to lift Aunt Nicola!” Hilda told Ruth.

“I’ve got two babies in my arms!” Philip replied.

“Well help me lift Nicola, will you?” Theresa told Ruth.

“What happened to mummy?” Andrew asked, rushing towards her mother’s side afterwards.

“Seems like she passed out.” Ruth told Andrew.

“Wake her up, Aunt Ruth!” Andrew told Ruth as he shook her arm.

Just then, the First Minister’s secretary had gotten off the phone and was shocked at the sight before her – her boss has just passed out, and the people around her are trying to do what they can to help her.

“Should I call the paramedics?” The First Minister’s secretary asked.

“Call them!” Theresa, Philip, Hilda, Ruth and Andrew said in unison.

* * *

_Western General Hospital, Edinburgh_

Theresa, Philip and Hilda, along with Andrew and Ruth were stuck at the waiting area of the A&E section of the Western General Hospital. The doctor on duty and the nurses who are with her are still trying to figure out what caused Nicola to suddenly faint.

Just then, Peter Murrell, Nicola’s husband arrived. He had been called as soon as Nicola was brought to the hospital through an ambulance. He appeared to have never ran so fast in his life as he entered the waiting area of the hospital’s A&E section panting and catching his breath.

“Daddy!” Andrew said as he ran towards his father, who received him with open arms.

“Andrew, where’s your mummy?” Peter asked Andrew.

“There!” Andrew said, pointing out towards the side of the A&E department where Nicola is.

“The doctor told me that you should wait here.” Ruth told Peter, “They’re going to call you to go near Nicola when they’re done assessing her.”

“I had to rush out of a meeting to get here,” Peter went on to say, “If anything horrible happens to Nicola, I’ll be devastated about it.”

Once the doctor and the nurses with her were done assessing Nicola’s condition, the doctor asked one of the nurses to call Peter up so that she could tell him the result of their assessment. Peter then excused himself and went up to the doctor who is attending to Nicola.

“Are you the First Minister’s husband?” The doctor asked Peter.

“Yeah.” Peter replied.

“Your wife’s fainting isn’t caused by anything fatal according to our initial assessment, however, she’ll have to stay in the hospital overnight so that we can continue monitoring her.” The doctor explained, “We’ll also have to run additional tests, just to be sure that absolutely nothing fatal has caused her to faint.”

“Please do whatever you can to save her.” Peter pleaded with the doctor.

“I will.” The doctor said in response.

* * *

Later on, Nicola was moved to a private hospital room, where she is to stay overnight. Peter and Andrew accompanied her in the room, while Theresa, Philip, Hilda and Ruth waited outside. Theresa, Philip, Hilda and Ruth decided that they were not leaving the hospital until Nicola’s sister arrives from Glasgow to help out with looking after her and Andrew, as Peter might need to take a rest from hours of looking after his wife and his son.

The doctor that was attending to Nicola earlier then entered Nicola’s hospital room, where she informed Nicola, as well as Peter of the results from the additional tests they administered to her.

“According to the tests that we administered to you,” The doctor went on to explain, “Your wife is pregnant.”

“What?” Peter said out of shock.

“Mummy is having a baby?” Andrew asked the doctor.

“Yes, young lad.” The doctor responded to Andrew, “Your mummy is having a baby.”

“Well Andrew, looks like you’re having a baby brother, or a baby sister now.” Nicola told her son.

“According to your ultrasound results, you’re six weeks pregnant with triplets.” The doctor went on to tell Nicola.

“I’m having triplets?!?” Nicola said out of shock, “Well, that’s completely unexpected.”

“There’s three babies in your tummy?” Andrew asked her mother.

“Yup, there’s three babies in my tummy.” Nicola told her son.

“We’re going to need a bigger house, Nicola.” Peter went on to tell his wife, “You can’t cram those babies into one room once they grow older.”

“I know having triplets is a surprise.” The doctor went on to tell Nicola, “Given the fact that expecting triplets is a high risk pregnancy, compared to having one baby or twins, and given the fact that you fainted today, in the middle of work, you might want to take the time off for at least a month. Just enough time for you to fully recover and regain the energy to continue working while being pregnant with triplets.”

“Taking time off work for at least a month?!?” Nicola went on to say, “I-I mean I have nothing against keeping my babies in good health but I’ve got a country to run and I have to secure Scotland’s future!”

“Well those babies you’re having are also Scotland’s future,” The doctor replied, “So you should ensure their health too.”

“Well, you do have a point.” Nicola said, “But I’m going to have to pick an Acting First Minister first before I go on a month-long leave.”

“Very well then,” The doctor told Nicola, “I’ll be back here again in a few hours to check up on you.”

After the doctor left Nicola’s room, Peter went out of the room to talk to Theresa, Philip, Hilda and Ruth who had been waiting for hours, as Nicola’s sister had not yet arrived still.

“How’s Nicola?” Ruth asked Peter.

“She’s having triplets!” Peter replied.

“Well, congratulations to you and Nicola!” Theresa told Peter, “Having a baby is something to be happy about.”

“I’m sure you and Nicola are very happy about it.” Philip said to Peter.

“Looks like you’ve got a bigger family now!” Ruth told Peter.

“Aunt Nicola is having three babies?” Hilda asked Peter.

“Yes young lass,” Peter told Hilda, “She’s having three babies.”

“I’m excited to see the babies!” Hilda told Peter.

“You’ll get to see them next year!” Peter told Hilda in an excited tone.

Neither Peter nor Nicola were expecting another baby, moreover, they were not expecting to have not one but three babies at the same time. Andrew is now going to be an older brother, and he and Nicola are going to do their best in order to prepare him for his new role. Nicola and Andrew are having a bigger family now, and they are looking forward to meet the new additions of their family in the next months.


	86. The Return of the Prime Minister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa goes on her first Prime Minister's Questions since returning from her parental leave. Meanwhile, Nicola, who has just started her short leave after discovering that she is pregnant with triplets, watches the PMQs at home.

_July 22, 2020 – House of Commons_

It is Theresa May’s first Prime Minister’s Questions since she has returned to work from her parental leave. Many of her colleagues were happy to see her back after a two-month absence. While they liked Amber Rudd’s performance as the Acting Prime Minister, her quality of work still does not come close with Theresa’s.

“The Leader of the Opposition.” Eleanor Laing called out.

“I would like to welcome the Prime Minister back from her parental leave and I would also like to congratulate her for the new additions to her family.” Jeremy Corbyn said, taking his seat afterwards.

“The Prime Minister.” Eleanor called out.

“Thank you to the Leader of the Opposition for those greetings,” Theresa said, “I would also like to take this moment to congratulate the First Minister of Scotland on her pregnancy. I’m very sure the SNP’s Members of Parliament are glad about such joyous occasion.”

Then, Eleanor called out the Leader of the Opposition for the second time. Jeremy rose up to ask his first question for the day’s PMQs.

“The First Minister of Scotland is expecting triplets,” Jeremy went on to say, “Now, the baby box scheme that your government has rolled out covers both single and twin births, as such births happen frequently in this nation, unlike multiple births exceeding two babies. Will those mothers who will have multiple births exceeding two babies receive the same number of baby boxes as the number of babies that they’ll be having?”

Eleanor called out the Prime Minister to answer the Leader of the Opposition’s question. Theresa rose up to answer the first question asked to her for the day’s PMQs.

“The government’s policy is that mothers will always receive the corresponding number of baby boxes as to the number of babies they’ll be having.” Theresa went on to say, “That means if a mother is expecting one baby, she gets one baby box, and if she is expecting twins, two, and if she is expecting triplets, three, and if she is expecting quadruplets, four, and so on. This government isn’t going to put the lives of babies on a surplus but do you know who does? A Labour government does!”

Then, the entire chamber erupted into cheers as a result of Theresa’s answer to Jeremy’s question. This might just be the beginning of Theresa’s first PMQs since returning to work from her parental leave but she has already done an impressive job.

* * *

_Govanhill, Scotland_

While the Prime Minister is having her first Prime Minister’s Questions since returning to work from her parental leave, Nicola Sturgeon here is having the second day of her medical leave since being released from the hospital the day before.

Nicola still felt surreal about having triplets, and so did her husband and son. Sometimes, she thinks that the doctor must have made a mistake about telling her that she’s expecting triplets – except that it is true that she is expecting triplets.

Peter has taken care of ensuring that she is well rested and well fed. After all, they cannot afford to lose any of the babies. Peter has also been preparing for the arrival of the babies, looking up on classified ads about houses for sale – after all, their current house isn’t big enough for a family of six. In fact, when they bought the house, they were expecting to be a family of three, and since the birth of Andrew, stay a family of three.

“Looks like the folks at Westminster are debating about whether or not I should get three baby boxes after our triplets are born.” Nicola commented as she and her husband watched Prime Minister’s Questions, “See, this is why I want another Independence Referendum!” she added, laughing afterwards.

“Well the Prime Minister made it clear, you and the other mums who are expecting triplets will get three baby boxes.” Peter told Nicola, “Our babies are in good hands, but they’ll be in better hands if Scotland goes independent.”

“I wonder which of our four children will become the future First Minister?” Nicola mused, already thinking about the future of her children.

“Andrew looks like he could make a good First Minister someday,” Peter told Nicola, “But, these three babies were about to have also have the chance too.”

“Perhaps all our children would make good First Ministers in the future!” Nicola told her husband, “I mean, my family supported me when I wanted to become First Minister. There’s no reason we can’t do the same for our children.”

“So, I’ve been looking for houses we could move into.” Peter went on to tell Nicola, “There’s a few houses here in Govanhill that would fit a family of six, but they’re pretty pricey compared to the houses I’ve found in other areas.”

“Well, we’ve got to stay in Govanhill,” Nicola said, “This is my constituency! My constituents wouldn’t appreciate it if we don’t maintain a home here that we actually live in. I’m not like the Deputy Prime Minister, who doesn’t even live in her own constituency!”

“Looks like I’m going to have to narrow down the search to those houses in this area that will fit a family of six.” Peter conceded, “We don’t want the SNP to end up in the opposition, after all.”

“That’s more like it, Peter!” Nicola told her husband, praising him for making a good decision in his quest to find the family a new home.

* * *

_10 Downing Street_

Amber Rudd is now back to being the Deputy Prime Minister. Two months of being the Acting Prime Minister was a one of a kind experience that she had. For two months, she did all the duties of the Prime Minister, though she chose not to live in Downing Street, and instead, returned to her home in London daily.

This time around, Amber is having a meeting with the Prime Minister. That means she is expected to be in the Prime Minister’s office right after lunch. She’s a couple of minutes ahead of schedule though, but that’s because she decided to forego a fancy lunch for the House of Commons cafeteria.

Amber opened the door to the Prime Minister’s office after her secretary had told her that she could already enter. She was met with the Prime Minister’s swivel chair with its back faced on her, as well as a small bowl of strawberries on the desk. Slowly, the chair turned around and on it, sat Hilda, with her arms crossed and a sassy look on her face.

“Hello Aunt Amber!” Hilda said with a smile, switching the sassy look on her face to a perky one.

“Hello there, Hilda!” Amber said as she took a seat near the desk, “It’s been a while since I saw you, young lass. What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been spending time with my baby siblings.” Hilda told Amber, “They’ve grown a bit bigger since the last time you visited us!” She added, munching a strawberry afterwards.

“Now, where’s your mummy?” Amber asked Hilda.

“Mummy’s still at the flat. She and daddy are making sure that Aunt Fiona knows how to keep an eye out of the babies.” Hilda told Amber after she munched another strawberry, “She’s going to help look after the babies when mummy and daddy are at work, until mummy and daddy find a good nanny for us.”

“I hope you and your siblings get a good nanny,” Amber said to Hilda.

Then, the door to the Prime Minister’s office opened again. This time, it is the Prime Minister herself who entered the office.

“Looks like my Deputy Prime Minister has arrived early.” Theresa said as she walked towards the swivel chair behind her desk.

“Well, I had to,” Amber told Theresa, “After all, this is an important meeting.”

“Hilda, how long has your Aunt Amber been in here?” Theresa asked her daughter.

“She’s been here for a few minutes already.” Hilda told her mother with a smile, “She’s quite early.”

“Your Aunt Amber and I are going to have a meeting,” Theresa went on to tell Hilda, “Now, why don’t you go join your Aunt Fiona at the flat and bring this bowl of strawberries with you?” She added, handing Hilda over her bowl of strawberries.

“Okay mummy!” Hilda said as she happily got her bowl of strawberries from her mother.

Then, Theresa opened the door for her daughter, who happily skipped out of her office with her bowl of strawberries on hand. After that, Theresa closed the door of her office and started her meeting with Amber. They had a lot to discuss regarding the government’s plans in the event that another vote on the Independence Referendum takes place in the Scottish Parliament.

Nicola Sturgeon might be on leave, but she is definitely finding ways to ensure that the Independence Referendum gets considered for voting by the Scottish Parliament, even when she’s not around. Theresa, Amber, and those who like them, advocate for the strengthening and the preservation of the union, are not going to allow anyone to break up the union that they have worked to strengthen and preserve.


	87. A Meeting and a Playdate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theresa and Philip take Hilda to Scotland to visit Andrew for a playdate. At the same time, Nicola holds a meeting with two colleagues of her to discuss a possible second Scottish Independence Referendum.

_July 25, 2020 – Glasgow, Scotland_

The Mays decided to pay a visit to Nicola Sturgeon and her family. The visit was made at the request of Andrew, who asked Theresa and Philip before they left the hospital five days ago, if Hilda could come over and visit them in Glasgow. Since Theresa doesn’t have any constituency events lined up for the day, she and her husband were willing to heed to Andrew’s request.

When the Mays arrived at Nicola’s home, they were greeted by Peter, and Andrew, who became very excited the moment he saw Hilda on the doorstep of his house. As they walked into the house, they passed by the living room where Nicola Sturgeon is talking to two women.

“I see that she’s having an important meeting.” Theresa commented as she watched Nicola talk to the two women with her. As she spoke, Theresa carried Olivia in her arms.

“Nicola’s got some professional matters to discuss with Mhairi and Jenny.” Peter explained, referring to Mhairi Black and Jenny Gilruth, the former being one of the Scottish National Party’s Members of Parliament, and the latter being one of the said party’s Members of the Scottish Parliament.

“They must be discussing about the Second Independence Referendum, right?” Philip asked Peter, as he held Oliver in his arms.

“That, and a few other matters on the future of Scotland.” Peter responded.

Meanwhile at the living room, Nicola is busy discussing with Mhairi and Jenny about how the second independence referendum is to be introduced to the Scottish Parliament. After all, their previous attempts to introduce such bill was met with opposition, mainly because Brexit had not yet happened. Now that the United Kingdom is out of the European Union, here is another chance for Nicola and her allies to fight for Scotland’s independence for the second time.

“Some supporters of the Scottish Independence Referendum Party in my constituency have been asking me if it is possible for our party to enter into an electoral alliance with theirs.” Jenny told Nicola, “They do have a point, we’re going to need them if we want to win the independence referendum this time.”

“They’re still a small party, with no seats in the Scottish Parliament and the House of Commons and even in local councils!” Mhairi told Jenny, “How do you think is it possible for them to successfully back us with our plan when none of their members has been elected yet?”

“The next Scottish Parliament elections is in less than a year, Mhairi.” Jenny reminded Mhairi, “This is definitely the perfect time for our party to go start an electoral alliance with theirs.”

“The Scottish Independence Referendum Party is a single issue party. It says so in their name.” Mhairi told Jenny, “If we start an electoral alliance with them, it’s sending a clear message that the only thing the SNP cares about is the independence referendum, when we’re more than that!”

“Mhairi, Jenny,” Nicola told the two backbenchers of her party in a stern voice, “Stop squabbling!”

“We’re not!” Mhairi and Jenny said in unison.

“We were just debating, boss.” Mhairi told Nicola.

“An electoral alliance with the SIRP sounds promising, but only if we follow through with funding them as well as providing them with any additional support they might need, after they agree to an electoral alliance with us.” Nicola explained, “We are going to speak to the party’s leader, and we’ll see if he thinks an electoral alliance with us would benefit the future of an independent Scotland.”

“So what do we do in the meantime?” Mhairi asked Nicola.

“You’ll have to continue defending the case for a second independence referendum as a Member of Parliament,” Nicola told Mhairi, then to Jenny she said, “And you Jenny, start revising the draft for the second independence referendum bill. If the revised draft is good enough, I will let you propose the bill next week at the earliest.”

“Aye, First Minister!” Mhairi and Jenny told Nicola in response.

Then, Nicola wrapped up her meeting with Mhairi and Jenny. The First Minister saw the two elected members of her party off, then went on to join her husband, her son and the Mays, who have already occupied the living room soon after Mhairi and Jenny left.

“As you can see, I just finished a meeting with Mhairi and Jenny.” Nicola told her guests, “Apologies for not being able to attend to you right away.” She added.

“That’s completely fine.” Theresa said with a smile, “You’ve got important business to attend to, and we understand.”

“Are you talking to Miss Mhairi and Miss Jenny about moving out of the UK?” Andrew asked his mother, who, along with his father, had referred to the second independence referendum as “moving out of the UK” whenever he asked what it meant.

“Well, yes, we were talking about leaving the UK.” Nicola told her son, “We’d like to propose a second independence referendum.”

“Is that why daddy is looking for new houses?” Andrew asked his mother, “Is it because we’re moving to a new house out of the UK?”

“Oh no, we’re not moving to another country and getting a house there.” Nicola explained to her son, “We’re still staying here in Govanhill, and we’re just going to move to a different house after your siblings are born. What I meant about leaving the UK is that Scotland will become its own country, as in we won’t be part of the UK anymore.”

“If we leave the UK, we won’t have a Queen anymore!” Andrew told his mother, “The Queen is such a nice lady.”

“Well, if Scotland goes independent, why don’t we become it’s monarchy?” Peter jokingly suggested to Nicola, “The House of Murrell-Sturgeon, imagine that! Then you could become the Queen!”

“Her Majesty Nicola Sturgeon, Queen of the Kingdom of Scotland.” Nicola told Peter, “That has a nice ring to it, except we’d rather be a republic when we go independent.”

“Good, because Her Majesty doesn’t need someone to upstage her.” Theresa told Nicola in a sassy tone, laughing at her afterwards along with her husband and her daughter.

Then, Andrew ran to the play room, where he retrieved the new plush toys that his parents had bought him. He then returned to the living room to show Hilda his new plush toys. The plush toys looked like a family of animals similar to guinea pigs, with two of the larger plush toys representing the mother and the father and two of the smaller plush toys representing the children.

“This is my new toy,” Andrew explained to Hilda, “It’s a plush toy of a family of wild haggis.”

“What is a wild haggis?” Hilda asked Andrew.

“They’re tiny animals that live in the highlands here in Scotland.” Andrew explained, “They run round and round the hills and one set of their legs is smaller than the other set.”

“Have you seen a real wild haggis?” Hilda asked him.

“I haven’t seen real wild haggis.” Andrew answered.

“If we go to the hills now, can we see them?” Hilda asked, wanting to know if the wild haggis is a real creature.

“No. Because there’s only a few of them left,” Andrew went on, “And they only run around the hills when there aren’t any people.”

“Oh.” Hilda said, pouting afterwards.

“I still have more new toys,” Andrew said, “Do you want to see them?”

“Yes.” Hilda answered.

“They’re at the play room,” Andrew told Hilda, “Come along!” he added, motioning for her to follow him to the play room afterwards.

Andrew's parents, as well as Hilda’s parents, with one of her siblings on each of their arms, also followed behind.

* * *

_Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow_

Jenny Gilruth and Mhairi Black decided to take a walk at the Kelvingrove Park in order to unwind after having a meeting with their party’s leader. As they took their walk, they were approached by the leader of the Scottish Conservatives – the one and only Ruth Davidson.

“If it isn’t my friends from the party that brought us the first independence referendum!” Ruth told both Jenny and Mhairi as she approached them.

“There’s a second one coming up, Ruthy.” Jenny told Ruth.

“And I’ll be glad to vote to stay in the union, Jenny.” Ruth told Jenny in response.

“We’re going to make it a better referendum than the last one.” Mhairi declared, “This time, we’re going independent. You can of course, move out to whatever is left of the UK if you don’t want to be in an independent Scotland.”

“Well I’m not moving elsewhere,” Ruth told Mhairi, “Because Scotland is here to stay in the UK!”

“We’ll see about that after the second independence referendum bill gets introduced in the Scottish Parliament!” Jenny told Ruth, “This time, we’re going to have more people on our side.”

“The last time I checked, our party has more members than yours!” Ruth told Jenny.

“Not after we convince the SIRP to form an electoral alliance with us!” Jenny said to Ruth.

“An electoral alliance, I see…” Ruth said.

Ruth then fished out her phone from her bag and dialed Theresa’s number. She’s got important news to share to her. Turns out, Nicola Sturgeon’s party has resorted to starting an electoral alliance with a single-issue party in order to launch a second independence referendum and ensure the victory of the pro-independence side.

“Yeah, hello boss.” Ruth said after Theresa picked up the call, “The SNP wants an electoral alliance with the Scottish Independence Referendum Party, or the SIRP. They’re kinda like the Brexit Party, but they want Scotland out of the UK, rather than the UK out of the EU.”

“Hey, they’re not like the Brexit Party!” Mhairi protested, “They’re not a bunch of bigots!”

“But they’re a single issue party, like the Brexit Party.” Ruth told Mhairi.

Ruth is very determined about keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom. After all, this is why she supports the Scottish Conservatives over the Scottish Nationalist Party.

* * *

As Hilda and Andrew played with Andrew’s new toys, Theresa is taking a call from Ruth. Ruth had called to let her know about the SNP’s plans to enter into an electoral alliance with the SIRP.

“We would need to strengthen the Conservative Party’s presence in Scotland even more. It’s the only way we can ensure that Scotland gets to stay in the United Kingdom.” Theresa told Ruth, “We don’t need to enter into any electoral alliances to achieve this, especially entering electoral alliances with single-issue parties.”

“Got it, boss.” Ruth told Theresa over the phone.

“Good.” Theresa said, “Now, do what you can so that a second independence referendum doesn’t have to take place.”

“I will.” Ruth said in response.

Then, Theresa finished talking to Ruth and went back to observing her daughter and Nicola’s son, who were now trying to solve a Rubik’s cube.

“How about you try turning it around to the left!” Hilda suggested to Andrew, “Maybe that will put more white squares on this side.” She added as she pointed out to the side of the Rubik’s cube which was halfway filled with white squares.

“Okay.” Andrew said, twisting the top of the Rubik’s cube to the left afterwards. The result of his efforts were two white squares on that side displaced to the side of the Rubik’s cube which was a mix of blue and red squares.

“Let me try!” Hilda said. Then, Andrew handed over the Rubik’s cube to her and she then proceeded to make a few twists to the cube, which eventually produced one side of it which was now covered in white squares.

“Wow!” Andrew said out of awe at what Hilda just did, “How did you do that?”

“I just twisted a few parts of the cube to do this.” Hilda explained to Andrew.

“You know, our children are still getting along pretty well.” Nicola commented to Theresa and Philip as she watched both her children and theirs play.

“Well, our children do have more in common,” Theresa explained, “And we shouldn’t let our jobs get in the way of that.”

“Agreed,” Nicola responded, “Though I’m still going to try pushing for a second independence referendum.”

“We’ll see about that.” Theresa told Nicola, “We’ve got good reasons on our side on why Scotland shouldn’t leave the union and there are Scottish people who agree with it.”

Hilda and Andrew’s parents might have some differences when it comes to the second independence referendum, but on other matters, they do share a common ground. In addition to that, both their parents are generally in good terms, and that is already enough to ensure that they remain friends.


	88. Meeting the Nanny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda meets her and her siblings' nanny for the first time and introduces her to their pets as well.

_July 27, 2020 – 10 Downing Street_

It is the first day of the summer recess for Parliament, but Theresa is reporting to work in Number 10 to hold a meeting with her Secretary of State for Scotland, Kirstene Hair. Nicola is in fact, very serious about the Second Scottish Independence Referendum, or as she likes to call it, IndyRef2.

On this day, Hilda and her siblings are to meet their new nanny, a Scottish woman in her late 30s named Nessie Covington. She had been recommended to Theresa and Philip by Fiona Hill herself. Nessie is a childhood friend of Fiona’s who graduated from the Norland College and worked for a few noble families before being hired by the Mays.

At this point Hilda was now introducing Nessie to the cats that lived with them in 10 Downing Street – namely the resident cat, Larry, and the Mays’ family cat, Marshmallow. After all, it’s also part of Nessie’s job description, as she agreed with Theresa and Philip, to keep an eye out for the cats, both for their safety and the safety of the children.

“Larry likes to eat a lot,” Hilda told Nessie, her nanny, “And mummy always tells us to keep the table scraps away from him, because he’s only supposed to eat kitty food, and table scraps aren’t good for him.”

“I’ll take note of that, Hilda.” Nessie told Hilda in response, “No table scraps for Larry.”

“And Marshmallow, she’s still tiny. You have to be careful with her.” Hilda said, pointing out to Marshmallow who has nested on the couch at the living room afterwards, “She can’t have table scraps too.”

“Do Marshmallow and Larry get along pretty well?” Nessie asked, wanting to know about the dynamics between the two cats that live with the Prime Minister and her family.

“Well, they already do.” Hilda replied, “But sometimes, Larry likes to stir up some trouble, and that’s when Marshmallow would try to run off.”

“Are they your only pets?” Nessie asked.

“There’s a dog too!” Hilda answered, “Her name is Chloe, but she already stays outdoors because she’s grown too big to be inside.”

“Can we see her?” Nessie asked the young lass, wanting to see the Mays’ dog.

“She’s outside, by the patio near the garden.” Hilda told her nanny.

Then, she led her to the back door of the Prime Minister’s flat which led to the garden.                                  

Right there, by the patio, is Chloe. The dog is lounging on one of the chairs on the patio. Though the sun is out, she is protected by the shade of the trees that are nearby.

“You know, we should really head back to the nursery.” Nessie told Hilda, “Your siblings might be waking up anytime soon and we wouldn’t want to miss that now, would we?”

Hilda nodded in agreement, and now, she and her nanny were off to the nursery to check on Olivia and Oliver.

* * *

When Hilda and Nessie returned to the nursery, which was just near the living room, the twins were just starting to wake up. They proceeded to walk up to the crib that the two share, and they could see Olivia and Oliver stretching their arms and legs as they transitioned from sleeping to being awake. The stretching was coupled with yawning noises that one could consider as cute.

“Aren’t they just precious?” Nessie mused as she observed the twins.

“Yes, yes they are.” Hilda said with a smile as she observed her own siblings.

“Say, do you want to hear a story about your Aunt Fiona?” Nessie asked Hilda. She knew that one of the ways to win the trust of the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter was to talk to her about Fiona. Nessie has known Fiona very well, owning up to the fact that they have been friends since childhood.

“Sure!” Hilda said in response.

“When your Aunt Fiona and I were in secondary school, we would work in this one bakery during the weekend.” Nessie went on to say, “We did everything, from baking the bread to talking to the customers. It was such fun!”

“My mummy used to work at a bakery on weekends when she was in secondary school too!” Hilda told Nessie, “She says that the fun part is getting to make the bread!”

“And I agree with your mummy on that, and I’m sure your Aunt Fiona does too!” Nessie told the young lass in response, much to her excitement. Finally, she has gained some more of Hilda’s trust.

“I liked baking the cottage loaf.” Nessie shared, “And I still do. In fact, I sometimes bake myself a loaf on my free time.”

“Can you please make me a cottage loaf soon?” Hilda asked her nanny. She had tried the cottage loaf before, when her parents would take home a cottage loaf from the local bakery at Maidenhead.

“Of course, Hilda.” Nessie said with a smile.

“I can even make some jam to go with that, as well!” Nessie told Hilda. Besides having the skill to bake, Nessie also knew how to make jam. It’s something that she also learned to do on her spare time.

“I want some strawberry jam with the cottage loaf, please!” Hilda requested, as she is a fan of strawberries, and its byproducts.

“When I go to Scotland again, I’ll get some strawberries for us to use.” Nessie told Hilda. Her job as a nanny entitles her to a weekend off, and she usually uses the weekend to visit her family at Greenock, her hometown.

“Please bring me some Irn Bru too!” Hilda requested.

“I’ll bring you a can of Irn Bru,” Nessie told Hilda, “Would that be okay?”

“Of course!” Hilda said in response. Even a can of Irn Bru already brings joy to her, after all.

It’s only Nessie’s first day as Hilda, Olivia and Oliver’s nanny, but she has already started some progress. For one thing, she has already established a rapport with Hilda. Now, she has the rest of the day to get the hang of balancing between taking care of a toddler and two infants.

For now, Nessie and Hilda continued to get to know each other more, and the two are loving every single moment of it. There is no doubt that Nessie is already the one, in terms of being the nanny to the May children for the duration of their childhood years.


	89. Building Up a Stronger Union

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hilda and Andrew have another playdate, this time with Hilda's younger siblings, as their mothers discuss on the future of Scotland.

_August 7, 2020 – Glasgow, Scotland_

Hilda and Andrew were playing with the building blocks in the latter’s play room. Hilda was once again in Scotland as a result of her mother’s meeting with the First Minister there. The plans for another Scottish independence referendum to be held are starting to materialize, and as Prime Minister, Theresa wants to convince Nicola that another Scottish independence referendum might not be the way to go to ensure that Scottish interests are protected.

“I have a new nanny! Her name is Nessie and she comes from Scotland!” Hilda told Andrew as he piled up some more building blocks together.

“Cool!” Andrew told Hilda, “Mummy and daddy are thinking of getting me a nanny, because mummy needs more time with the babies.” He added.

Recently, Nicola had just found out that her pregnancy might be high risk – mainly because she is pregnant in her 40s, to triplets. She was advised to extend her leave until it is certain that the risk of miscarriage is low to none. Furthermore, her husband was advised to help her out with managing the pregnancy, which meant it was now time for Andrew to have his own nanny.

Nicola had always thought that hiring a nanny was such a posh thing to do, but given the circumstances now, it is definitely a necessary thing to do.

“Can we please play with Olivia and Oliver?” Andrew asked Hilda.

“Why don’t we ask my daddy?” Hilda suggested.

Then, Hilda and Andrew walked up to the corner of the play room where Philip is seated with Olivia and Oliver in his arms. Philip was talking to the babies as Hilda and Andrew approached him.

“How are you doing little mister?” Philip asked Oliver, who responded with adorable cooing sounds.

“Daddy, can we please play with Olivia and Oliver?” Hilda asked her father, who then took a break from talking to the babies to speak to her.

“They’re still quite tiny at this point.” Philip explained to her daughter and to Andrew, “You two would have to be extra careful in holding them.”

“But they’re not as tiny as they were last month!” Andrew told Philip, “They’re bigger now.”

“But they’re still not as big as you two.” Philip told Andrew, “So that’s why you and Hilda must be careful in holding them.”

“So can we play with them, please?” Hilda asked her father once again.

“Of course!” Philip answered, “But remember, be careful with them.”

Then, Philip carefully handed Olivia over to her older sister, and then he did the same to Oliver, handing him over to Andrew. The two children then proceeded to go back to where they were playing earlier on, with one baby in each arm.

* * *

At this point, Hilda and Andrew had guided Olivia and Oliver on putting the building blocks they were playing on top of each other. The babies seemed to enjoy what they were doing, as they babbled gleefully while playing with the blocks. Of course, their playing with the blocks was basically just them grasping at the blocks, before the child holding them would teach them how to stack the blocks.

“Look at this pink block!” Hilda told her sister as she handed her a pink block, “Isn’t it nice!”

Olivia merely responded by babbling at her older sister.

“See, she thinks it’s nice!” Hilda told Andrew.

“Blue blocks are nicer, right Oliver?” Andrew asked the baby in his arms.

Oliver merely responded by babbling at Andrew.

“Hey! He thinks blue blocks are nicer!” Andrew told Hilda.

“But pink blocks are nicer, Oliver!” Hilda told her older brother, who responded to her by babbling. Oliver then took the pink block from her hand and started shaking it.

“Looks like you win this time, Hilda.” Andrew said, acknowledging that Hilda has won the friendly competition that they had against each other.

Hilda and Andrew then continued playing with Olivia and Oliver, this time, showing them some stuffed toys from Andrew’s toy box.

* * *

“There are many reasons why you should not pursue with another Independence Referendum for Scotland.” Theresa explained to Nicola, “For one thing, your medical leave has been extended, so you wouldn’t be able to oversee the introduction of the Scottish Independence Referendum motion that your party is backing, let alone vote in favour of it.”

“I’m taking time out of the medical leave just to vote for that motion, then I’ll go back to continuing my leave, and return to work again when the campaign for the independence referendum starts.” Nicola said with confidence and authority. She did not want her second try at making Scotland independent to fail again. Especially because this time, she’s got the perfect opportunity, in the form of the UK being out of the EU already.

“You would not want to risk your children’s lives for this.” Theresa told Nicola, “You’re having triplets and you love the three of them equally.”

“You just got lucky that you had your twins after you successfully led the United Kingdom out of the European Union!” Nicola told Theresa in response, “So you wouldn’t have to put yourself in the same situation as I’m in right now.”

“Beyond the fact that you’re having triplets, that Scottish Independence Referendum you’re trying to push for will put Scotland in jeopardy. It’s not just going to affect your children, but it’s going to affect every other person living in Scotland.” Theresa went on to tell Nicola, “The United Nations is not going to automatically admit Scotland for one thing. You’d have to convince existing nations to recognize an Independent Scotland.”

“Well, we’re not going to have a problem with that!” Nicola said, “If what remains of the United Kingdom doesn’t recognize us, a bunch of other nations will.”

“Look, even if an Independent Scotland is recognized as it’s own nation by all existing nations, including what you refer to as “what remains of the United Kingdom”, you’ll have to start everything from scratch.” Theresa said, building up on her argument on why Scotland should not leave the UK, “You’ll have to submit new applications for Scotland to be recognized in other international organizations. You’ll have to work towards making the Scottish passport a strong passport. You’ll have to allot some money to put up embassies overseas. Not to mention you’d need to strengthen an independent Scotland’s national defence system.”

That caused Nicola to fall silent. She and her party had devouted so much time to crafting that second Scottish Independence Referendum motion that they had forgotten about what they would have to face when Scotland does get to become independent.

Theresa smiled, knowing that she is about to convince Nicola to put off the second Scottish Independence Referendum.

* * *

The Mays were now taking the train back to London, after their visit to the Sturgeons in Glasgow. The visit went well for all of them, of course.

“Would you believe it, I managed to convince her to shelve her plans for another Scottish Independence Referendum!” Theresa told her husband with glee.

“I knew you could do it, love!” Philip told Theresa, “You’ve convinced her before to reconsider her decision on another Scottish Independence Referendum, and you’ve convinced her again!”

“And how about you, Yorkshire Pudding, how did playing with Andrew go?” Theresa asked her daughter.

“We had fun, and daddy let Olivia and Oliver play with us!” Hilda told her mother with delight.

“How exactly did you let the twins play with Hilda and Andrew, love?” Theresa asked, curious about what Hilda was telling her.

“Well, I let the kids hold the twins, and I told them to be careful with them,” Philip explained, “And they listened to me, of course. Hilda held Olivia in her arms, and Andrew did the same with Oliver, and those two taught the twins how to play with building blocks. The twins of course, seemed to be enjoying it.”

“Is that true, did you two enjoy playing with your older sister and Andrew?” Theresa then went on to ask Olivia and Oliver, who were both in her arms.

The two babies responded by babbling at their mother.

“Looks like they did!” Theresa said, confirming the affirmative in her question.

“Next time, can we and Andrew play with the twins at our house?” Hilda asked her parents.

“Well, we’ll have to ask your Aunt Nicola and Uncle Peter about that first.” Theresa told her daughter.

“Your mummy is right.” Philip added.

“Okay, then lets ask them!” Hilda suggested to both of her parents.

“We will, once we’re back at home.” Theresa said, “Would that be alright?”

And Hilda nodded in agreement.

It will still be a few more hours before the Mays return to London, so they decided to spend the rest of the train ride relaxing, as they had such an eventful day.


End file.
